Gwira Banso Chief Cum Military Officer Faces Accusation Of Inciting Youths Against Okoben Mining And Government
The chief has indirectly beaten the war drum against the company, saying that the residents should count whether they can find out any tar road being constructed in Gwira by the central government since it granted the environmental gold mining permits/licenses for the Okoben to mine gold resources in the area.
Freeman Koryekpor 
Chief of Banso in the Gwira Traditional Area in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region, Nana Ette Akrade II, whose is called in military service as WOII Gerhart Yao Fugal, has accused for inciting community violence against the government and Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah for not bringing socio- economic development to the Gwira Traditional Area.
The chief has indirectly beaten the war drum against the company, saying that the residents should count whether they can find out any tar road being constructed in Gwira by the central government since it granted the environmental gold mining permits/licenses for the Okoben to mine gold resources in the area.
However, per the law in this country, the gold mining firm has no power or mandate to construct roads in its host communities and that indirectly the chief is inciting the youths/residents against government of Ghana.
Nana Ette Akrade II, who is still in active service as military officer has been spotted in a video which has been in possession of this news outlet, inciting residents, particularly the youths during a public gathering held at Gwira on Saturday February 11, 2023 to ensure Nana Okoben Amponsah should not work on his gold mining concession at Dominase in Gwira.
He incited the residents to rise against Nana Okoben Amponsah and his followers anytime they spotted them on their mining concession since the Gwira Traditional Council has fourteen days ultimatum the government to ban the company from mining in the area.
In the video, Nana Ette Akrade II was heard challenging the residents that he would give GH¢ 50, 000.00 to whoever provided licenses to show that Nana Okoben Amponsah has the necessary legal licenses to mine gold on his concession in Gwira.
"We have current moved from Gwira to Accra to report the attitude of Nana Okoben Amponsah and his company to the officials of the Minerals Commission and Minster of Lands and Natural Resources, but we were told that they would respond to us. We want want see Nana Okoben Amponsah on our land again," Chief Banso noted in the video.
However, speaking to journalists, thousands of well wishing residents in Gwira who were not in support of the current attacks meted out to Nana Okoben Amponsah by Paramount Chief of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II, Chief of Gwira Banso, Nana Ette Akrade II and the Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II stated that condoning hate speeches could affect the peace and tranquility in the area , adding that national security authorities must ensure Nana Ette Akrade II,faced the full wrath of the law.
They expressed disappointment in Paramount Chief of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II, Chief of Gwira Banso, Nana Ette Akrade II and the Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II for what they termed as wrongly attacks meted out to Nana Okoben Amponsah.
According to them, 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 the legal and genuinely acquired concession at Dominase in Gwira to give out to the illegal foreign nationals (Chinese illegal miners) to mine gold resources.
"We expect the police and the courts to bring this Banso chief who an military officer to Justice very quickly to deter others who might be harboring similar violent thoughts in the Gwira. Because the Banso chief is still in active service as military officer so his actions can influence the youths to visit attack on Nana Okoben Amponsah and family members including his workers,” they added.
The residents who are predominantly elders of Gwira called on the public to disregard any activity that sought to promote chaos, saying disturbances and hatred negatively affected development and must not be discouraged at all levels.
They stressed that the laws of the country must act strongly when it comes to issues that have the tendency of marring the peace of the country, especially with the case of Banso Chief to serve as a deterrent to others.
Touching on the illegal activities in Gwira, the elders wondered why Nana Ette Akrade II who is noted for supporting galamseyers in Banso could cover up himself and went ahead to be fighting against the company for doing illegal mining.
They pointed out they are making ready to expose how the chief of Banso is selling diesel fuel to the illegal miners in Banso to power the illegal machines to mine gold illegally in the area.
They accused the chief of allegedly collecting a total of GH¢1000 as Banso community living fee from each of the illegal small scale miners before he would allow them to operate mining activities in his community
According to the residents, the chief also charged the illegal small scale miners of 20% on the gold resources mined on his land.
The sources indicated that the chief employed the guns weirdly macho-men to guide the illegal small scale miners to operate illegally on the Banso land which polluted water bodies and environment.
They noted the hired macho-men numbering about twenty who go to the various mining sites of these illegal miners to collect the charges from miners for the chief.
