Galamseyers Have Invaded Gwira Banso; Mining Gold Close To Chief Palace 

The heavy mercury content in the River Ankobra stretch of Gwira Banso enclave in the Western Region continues to show no sign of reducing.

This is as a result of heavy gold mining activities of small miners from Niger China, Mali and Ghana," investigations have revealed.

Investigations conducted by a team of senior journalists who captured in their evidences in a video have revealed the high rate at which illegal small scale mining activities, (popularly known as galamsey) are indiscriminately ongoing in the entire Banso enclaves in the Gwira Traditional Area of the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality in the Western Region, without recourse to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 Act 703.

The investigations indicated that the Palace of the Gwira Banso Chief, Nana Ette Akrade II, may be invaded very soon by these illegal miners who are from Mali, Niger, China and Ghana with excavators to prospect for gold should the menace continue unabated in the area.

The illegal miners in Gwira Banso were mining deeply in River Ankobra which has turned the water body  yellow.  The sad aspect of this illegality is that Nana Ette Akrade II, who claims to be a crusader against illegal mining activities in Gwira Traditional Area, is silent about the situation.

The current state of the river Ankobra is that it has been polluted by the illegal small scale mining activities, which evidence contradicts the clean state of the river claimed recently by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker.

Pieces of documentary evidences gathered from the investigations have revealed that the recent announcement by Mr Duker who expressed satisfaction with the improved state of the downstream portion of River Ankobra which has for about a decade suffered serious pollution from illegal gold mining activities is completely false and a cooked story to score cheap political points.

Speaking to Citi FM during a visit to River Ankobra in the Ellembelle District, Mr Duker, while crediting the clean state of the river to government’s regulatory and monitoring agencies’ efforts, said the situation was encouraging, and, therefore, assured that his ministry will work to see same improvement with other river bodies. 

But investigations by these senior journalists on Thursday 16, 2023, point out that Mr Duker, Western Regional Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Commission, Chief of Gwira Banso Nana Ette Akrade II, have not been able to protect River Akonbra and lands from illegal mining activities. 

This news outlet can report that the rate at which illegal miners have degraded lands in the Gwira Banso and polluted River Akonbra is very troubling, and that if care is not taken, the entire Gwira Banso chief’s palace will be invaded by illegal miners, hence the need for all residents to support the fight against the menace by the government.

Interestingly, the journalists saw how the illegal miners were indiscriminately working under the jurisdiction of the Gwira Banso chief who was spotted in a video during a funeral in Gwira inciting the youth to rise against Okoben Mining Company Limited, accusing the company of engaging in responsible mining activities.

However, a fact-finding mission to Gwira Banso on Thursday, February 16,:2023, showed the illegal miners using Changfan machines and other heavy mining equipment to engage in illegal small scale mining activities in River Akonbra at Gwira Banso.

The investigations further revealed that these illegal miners use excavators to mine on the lands of Gwira Banso and end up destroying water bodies such as Ankobra, forest range reserves and the environment on the blind side of Nana Ette Akrade II and the military task force (Operation Halt II Team) against galamsey in water bodies.

Our findings also discovered that persons who indulge in small scale illegal mining in Gwira Banso do not only operate during the day, but also at night.

It further emerged that some traditional office holders and top politicians were in support of these illegal miners.

"These illegal miners have come from Mali, Niger, China and when we confront them to stop their illegal activities, they boldly tell you that they had paid money to the traditional authorities in Banso who has allowed us to mine in Gwira Banso community and that nobody can stop their operations on the lands and water bodies.” 

"So you may see a place where there is no destruction, but by the time you wake up…it has been mined. Within two hours, these guys can do whatever damage they want to do,” some concerned residents of Gwira Banso told the senior journalists.

This heartbreaking situation has, however, informed the decision of the concerned citizens of Gwira Banso and Tufuhene of Assuawuah in Gwira Traditional Area to call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately deploy the military task force to arrest the illegal miners.

In an interview with the journalists, Nana Addae Blay V stated that it was high time President Akufo-Addo continued to pay serious attention to the continuous destruction of water bodies and environment by these illegal miners in Banso enclaves of Gwira Traditional Area.

According to him, instead of Nana Ette Akrade II coming out publicly to call for the support of the government to fight the menace at his backyard/community, he [Nana Ette Akrade II] chooses to join the Paramount Chief of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II, including other chiefs to attack the Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah, who is rather doing responsible mining on his legally and lawfully acquired gold mining concession at Dominase in Gwira.

Mincing no words, Nana Addae Blay V pointed out that it was not true that the gold mining activities of Okoben have destroyed river Ankobra, explaining that the company's gold mining concession is 700 metres away from the river.

The chief pointed out that he thought that these chiefs who were destroying the name of Okoben would rather support the government of President Akufo-Addo in flushing out these illegal foreign nationals who had invaded the communities such as Sefwi Asawinso, Diaso, Wassa Jokwaa, Wassa Akropong, Hiawa Bekwai, Prestea, Pepoase, Gwira Wiaso Gwira Tumantu, and Gwira Banso.

These communities, the Tufahene noted, are the source of the river Ankobra, explaining that the illegal mining activities of the Chinese galamseyers from the above mentioned communities have also polluted Akonbra but not the activities of Okoben Mining Company Limited, saying the company was committed to responsible mining.

He maintained that Nana Okoben Amponsah's company was rather protecting that stretch of the lands for the people in Gwira from invasion of the illegal miners.

According to him, the various accusations levelled against the company by these chiefs were because they connived with some top politicians in the Western Region to take over his legally and genuinely acquired concession at Dominase in Gwira to give it to the illegal foreign nationals (Chinese illegal miners) to mine gold.

He stressed that the public announcement by these chiefs claiming that they were attacking Nana Okoben Amponsah because they were helping the government to fight against illegal mining activities in the district was completely false.

The Tufahene noted that there were pieces of evidence which attest to the fact that these chiefs had exhibited these evil plots against the company because they want the government to revoke the license(s) from the Okoben Mining Company Limited.

He maintained that they suspected that Nana Okoben Amponsah has become an enemy and target of the chiefs of Gwira because they plan to take over his concession to give it out to illegal foreign nationals.

He pointed out that a video shot by a drone has showed how the Chief of Banso in Gwira, Nana Ette Akrade II, was endorsing illegal small scale mining activities which have rendered the river Ankobra toxic.

"We didn't understand why Nana Ette Akrade II who incited the youths against mining company could not use his military position to invite the military task force to arrest these illegal miners on his land.”

"We wondered why Nana Ette Akrade II who is noted for supporting galamseyers in Banso could cover up his activities, and instead fight the company,” the chief stated. 

The Tufahene said very soon they will organise a press conference and demonstration to expose how the chief of Banso endorses mining activities in his community by way of selling diesel fuel to illegal miners in Banso.

For their part, the residents in the area accused their chief of allegedly collecting an amount of GH¢1000 as Banso community living fee from each of the illegal miners before allowing them to operate in his community.

According to them, the chief also charged the illegal small scale miners 20% on the gold resources mined on his land.

The residents were responding to the current outburst by the aforementioned chiefs who launched a scathing attack on the gold mining company of Nana Okoben Amponsah without any wrongdoing.

Speaking further, Nana Addae Blay V noted that Nana Okoben Amponsah's company is keen in ensuring that there are toilet facilities, potable water, roads, environmental sanitation, health, educational infrastructure, sports for the youths and good welfare services for citizens/residents in Gwira Traditional Area.

"Since Nana Okoben Amponsah has secured his concession at Dominase in Gwira from the traditional authorities and got the necessary legal license(s) from the state mining regulatory institutions including Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, we, the traditional authorities have been monitoring the gold mining activities of the miner.

"...and that we can state without fear that Nana Okoben Amponsah's company has been using legal means to work on their gold concession, and that they have put pragmatic and security measures in place to fight galamseyers from destroying river Ankobra and the environment including forest range reserves,” he noted.

Mincing no words, the chief described as completely unacceptable and worrying the current habit of these aforementioned chiefs to transport from Gwira to Accra to use various television media platforms and press conferences to launch a physical war against the Nana Okoben Amponsah.

"But l am assuring the general public that we the traditional office holders who are strongly backing Nana Okoben Amponsah are not going to allow these chiefs to push their evil agenda," Nana Addae Blay V vowed.

He stressed that looking at the huge contributions by Nana Okoben Amponsah by improving social and infrastructure development in Gwira, well-wishing chiefs and citizens of Gwira would be the last persons to sit down idle for those devilish chiefs to sabotage Nana Okoben Amponsah and his company.

He maintained that Nana Okoben Amponsah has showed respect to all the traditional office holders, chiefs, queen-mothers in Gwira including his host mining communities.

The Tufuhene expressed these foregoing sentiments while speaking in an interview with Metro Television in Accra on Sunday, February 12, 2023, which was on the topic "No To Galamsey."

Aside from this, Nana Addae Blay V made same statement on Accra-based Angel TV on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, to rubbish the widespread media reports attributed to these chiefs that the activities of the company had polluted river Ankobra.

The statement made by Nana Addae Blay V confirmed the earlier submission by some of the prominent traditional office holders in Gwira including the Adotenhene of Tumiatu in Gwira, Nana Kpole Antoanah V, Paramount Queen-mother of Gwira, Nana Adwoa Affiah, and the Principal Head of Amanrakpanyim Family of Gwria, Nana Alumenza lll, who had jumped into the defence of the company and said the gold mining firm had done no wrong.

Nana Addae Blay V said the Minerals Commission of Ghana has also clarified that Okoben was a responsible mining company whose activities have not violated the Minerals and Mining laws and that the company respects water bodies, forest range reserves and the environment.

"I wonder why these chiefs were accusing the company of doing galamsey. But if you come to Gwira Assuawuah, you will see thousands of illegal Chinese miners who have invaded the area and indiscriminately mining gold resources on the blind side of the national security officers and military galamsey task force.”

On allegations of Okoben's neglect of the chiefs and elders of Gwira, Nana Addae Blay V debunked the claim.

He noted that the gold company was committed to providing jobs, paying taxes and royalties, sourcing with local businesses, investing in community programmes and infrastructure.

The chief added that the company was also committed to strong and good corporate governance, multi-stakeholder engagement, and transparency around payments to local and central governments in order to increase accountability, develop trust, create mutual value and reduce corruption.

He added that per their records, the company has supported essential government services and programmes, and raised the standard of the people in its host communities within the Gwira Traditional Area.

The chief disclosed that the company first built two mechanised boreholes for the Gwira Assuawuah community, adding that one of the facilities is currently being used by the people in the community.

He noted that the other water facility was in its completion stage, adding that the company also built classroom building blocks for some schools in Gwira Traditional Area.

He said the company has assured them that when it finishes the construction of the boreholes, it would start to build a 10-seater ultra-modern water closet toilet facility for the community.

"The company is committed to paying royalists to the traditional authorities in Gwira Traditional Area including the custodial owners of the lands of where its concession is located in the municipality," he stressed.

He revealed that on January 1, 2013, Nana Okoben Amponsah brought his royalties to the Nananom of Gwira Stool.

"Nana Okoben Amponsah as l am talking to you today, has made it clear that he brought part of his royalties to the Nananom." 

These royalists were even received by the chief linguist of Akpansie at the private residence of Nana Okoben Amponsah in Tarkwa," the chief disclosed.

"So when l heard that some chiefs came to Nzema FM and Accra to say that Nana Okoben Amponsah's company has destroyed river Ankobra and also failed to honour its agreement to pay royalties to the stool, these allegations came to me as a surprise," Nana Addae Blay V indicated.

According to Nana Addae Blay V, when he was installed in 2017, he challenged the legality of Okoben, saying that when he visited the Tarkwa office of the Minerals Commission to verify whether the company has a license to operate in Gwira, the officials of the commission responded to him that they are dealing with the company and that if the company violated its mineral and mining laws it would not be spared.

"We are calling on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP government that the evil plots being hatched by these chefs to the effect of accusing the company of engaging in illegal mining activities which they claim had polluted River Ankobra, streams and other river bodies on its gold concession at Dominase is a complete mischievous and one-sided vicious trial by the media.

To this end, the chief reiterated the call on President Akufo-Addo and general public to disregard the claims by Angama Tuagyan and his followers, saying that the traditional authorities of Gwira have not banned Okoben from mining on its gold mining concession at Dominase.