Alleged Neglect Of People In Gwira: I Bought Cars For Chiefs And Also Spend GH¢20BN  On Chiefs And Elders!---Nana Okoben Amponsah Fires Back

The Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah, has stated categorically that he has given a whopping sums of money to the Paramount Chief of Gwira Traditional Area in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II to build his chieftaincy palace at Gwira.

Aside this initiative, the Ghanaian business mogul revealed that he gave unaccounted financial supports to the Omanhene and other chiefs including elders at Gwira Traditional Stool.

According to Nana Okoben Amponsah, it came to him as surprise that Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and other chiefs including Chief of Gwira Banso, Nana Ette Akrade II and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II who had heavily benefited from him would rather turned out their back at him to be accusing him of neglecting the people in Gwira.

Speaking in an interview with journalists to response to the current outburst of the chiefs in Gwira who made allegations against Nana on Nzema FM on Thursday February 9, 2023, the Ghanaian business mogul stressed that he has not neglected the people in the area as claimed by the chiefs.

He stressed that he a great respect for the chiefs, queen mothers, elders, youths and other traditional office holders in the area.

According to Nana Okoben Amponsah, his company is committed responsible corporate company and that he would be the last corporate mining firm which would neglect the people in Gwira.

He pointed out that he was surprised of the current inhumane attitude of Paramount Chief of Gwria, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II who has benefited from his mining project in Gwira to organize chiefs to sabotage him by way of accusing of committing the crime that he has not committed, saying that the true of the matter would surely be out soon.

According to him, since he secured the gold mining concession at Dominase from the Gwira Traditional Stool and got the necessary legal license (s) from Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, he has been working hard to contribute to socio-economic development and growth of the people in Gwira in the areas of education, health, water and sanitation, security, social welfare, sporting activities to youths.

He added that he was very instrumental in helping and supporting the livelihoods of the chiefs, queen mothers, elders, youths and other traditional office holders in Gwira Traditional Area.

"Since l am very passionate about the social and infrastructure development of the chiefs in the area, l personally gave whopping sums of money to Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II to build his chief palace. l bought luxury cars for some chiefs in Gwira Stool including the chief of Gwira Banso,Nana Ette Akrade II. I have spent over GH¢20 billion to help the chiefs and elders of Gwira Traditional Stool since l started operations in the area," Nana Okoben Amponsah disclosed, saying that there are documentary envidences to prove to that effect.

According to him, when he came to Gwira community to start the work, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II invited all the accredited chiefs, queen mothers and other prominent traditional office holders and they took drinks from him which worth over GH¢ 10,000 (Hundred Million Old Ghana cedis).

" So l am very shock the Paramount of the area, having being one of the beneficiaries to these of my initiatives, today he [Awulae  Angama Tu-Agyan II] who brought me to Gwira and introduced me to the chiefs has turned his back at me and went to join forces of chiefs including Chief of Gwira Banso, Nana Ette Akrade II and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II to be moving from television station-to-television-station or radio station-to-radio-station accusing me that l have not done anything for the people and elders of Gwira community," Nana Okoben Amponsah recounted.

Nana Okoben Amponsah was responding to the current outburst of the Chief of Gwira Banso, Nana Ette Akrade II and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II, who accused him of neglecting the people in Gwira.

The two chiefs made the allegations against Nana Okoben Amponsah when they were hosted on Nzema FM and other media outlet on Thursday February 9, 2023.

But in a quick rebuttal, Nana Okoben Amponsah showcased a number of the projects, programmes and self human centered initiatives he has done to improve the lives of chiefs and residents in the area.

The miners pointed out that he has become the main target of the chiefs because they had filed put their vast of lands to the illegal small scale mining, including the foreign nationals who indiscriminately mine gold on the lands and destroyed them.

According to him, he suspected that the chiefs were fighting him to leave his gold mining concession at Dominase in Gwira because they thaught otherwise that when he loses the fight they would take an advantage to resell his concession to the foreign nationals/ Chinese galamseyers to mine the gold resources in order for them to benefit from the bounties.

I am not going to allow this to happen in my concession because l would use my last blood to protect my concession from any encroachment," Nana Okoben Amponsah vowed.

Meanwhile, Adotenhene of Tumiatu in the Gwira Traditional Area Nana Kpole Antoanah V, highlighted the significance roles Nana Okoben Amponsah has played in their livelihoods in Gwira.

He disclosed that since he started mining activities on his legally acquired gold mining concession from the Gwira Stool, he bought many luxury cars and gave to some chiefs in  Gwira Traditional Stool.

Nana Kpole Antoanah V stated that they were was surprised that Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II who was also benefited from Nana Okoben Amponsah would turned his back at him and went to join the forces to sabotage Nana Okoben Amponsah.

Consequently, Nana Kpole Antoanah V denied claimed by Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II,which goes viral that the traditional authorities of Gwira have banned the Okoben Mining Company Limited from mining gold resources on its concession at Dominase and dared Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan and other chiefs who are peddling these falsehoods against the company to come out publicly to invoke the gods to prove that they are not lying against the company.

He pointed out that the gold mining company has been honouring its various task obligations by way of paying compensation packages to the affected farmers and also be paying royalties to the Gwira Stool.

"I want to state categorically that all the various works that the Managing Director of Okoben Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah has done in the years of 2016 and 2017 on the concession he secured from the Gwira Stool at Dominase, l am personally present before Nana Okoben Amponsah brought the cheques to pay the traditional authorities who are the allodial owners of Gwria Stool. And these cheques brought and presented by Nana Okoben Amponsah to the elders of the Gwira Stool  were dully cashed in the bank and paid the beneficial personalities," Nana Kpole Antoanah V reaffirmed.

"We want to officially inform President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that Nana Okoben Amponsah has done no wrong."Since Nana Okoben Amponsah secured his concession at Dominase in Gwira from we the traditional authorities and got the necessary legal license and permit from the state mining regulatory institutions including Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, we have been monitoring the gold mining activities of miner and can attest to the fact that Nana Okoben Amponsah has been using legal means to work on his gold mining concession and put in place measures to fight galamseyers from destroying the river Akonbra and environment including the forest range reserves.

"We also observed that Nana Okoben Amponsah has followed all the terms and conditions in his contractual agreement he signed with the elders of the Gwira Stool. There are documentary envidences which clearly shows that since Nana Okobea Amposah started mining in the area, he gives me car. He gives car to Tufahene. Nana Okoben Amponsah gives car to Wiawsohene. 

So what l am saying to you that all the four luxury cars parked there were given to us by Nana Okobea Amposah. 

Even there are clear evidence which shows that some of the chiefs in Gwira took monies from Nana Okoben Amponsah to buy their own choice of cars which they are currently using in the area. The evidence are there for whoever doubts it to come and see themselves. So it is disgraceful for Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers to behave in this way, I unreservedly condemn them. Nana Okoben Amponsah deserves better than the crude behaviour by these chiefs," Adotenhene condemned Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers.