Leave Okoben Mining Boss Alone; He Gives Luxury Cars To Chiefs Including Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II ---Adotenhene Of Gwira Stool Discloses (Party 1)

The Adotenhene of Tumiatu in the Gwira Traditional Area in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region, Nana Kpole Antoanah V, has disclosed that the Managing Director of Okoben Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah has showed gross respect to all the traditional office holders, chiefs queen-mothers in Gwira including his host mining communities.

The chief highlighted the significance roles Nana Okoben Amponsah has played in their livelihoods in Gwira, disclosing 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 including the Paramount Chief of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II.

Nana Kpole Antoanah V stated that they were was surprised that Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II after gotten these great offers from Nana Okoben Amponsah would turned his back at the seasoned miner and went to join the forces to destroy or sabotage Nana Okoben Amponsah to look awkward in the faces of the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.  

"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 made to 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. Nana Okoben Amponsah. He gives car to Tufohene, he gives car to Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II. Nana Okoben Amponsah gives car to Wiawsohene. So what l am saying is that all the four luxury cars were given to us by Nana Okobea Amposah. 

"It is disgraceful for Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers to behave 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. 

Addressing a press conference in Gwira on Tuesday February 6, 2023 Nana Kpole Antoanah V, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ignore the fake mews and falsehoods being published against the company by Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers. 

He stressed that the  Okoben Mining Company Limited being owned by Nana Okoben Amponsah has done no wrong. 

"We are strongly backing the company that it has done no wrong in its mining activities in our area. Even in the event that the company has done wrong to be banned from mining on its concession at Dominase in Gwira, l, Nana Kpole Antoanah have a traditional power and capacity as the Adotenhene of Gwira to ban the company. But it is not Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II because he doesn't have the traditional locus and power to do so as far the traditions, customs of the area are concerned.

"This is because Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II is not the rightful custodial or allodial title owners of the lands that the company has secured its concession to mine the gold in the Gwira Traditional Area. So the fake news and biggest lies peddled around against the company by Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers are completely violation of the traditions, customs and norms of the Gwira Traditional Stool. And what we are saying is that it is high time for Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers to stop their continuous lies and libelous stories against the company and render unqualified apology to Nana Okoben Amponsah," Nana Kpole Antoanah V further stressed.

Against this background, he stressed that "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 claimed had polluted River Ankobra, streams and other river bodies on its gold concession at Dominase is a complete lies and one-sided vicious trial by media.

According to the chief, these falsehoods and blatant lies against the local gold mining company were perpetrated by Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers who accused the company of issuing dull cheques to defraud the elders and farmers/ residents in relation of paying crops and lands compensation packages.

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.

Nana Kpole Antoanah V was responding to allegations leveled against Nana Okoben Amponsah that he issued dull cheques to defraud cocoa and other farmers whose farms were affected in relation to the gold mining activities on his concession at Dominase in Gwira.

It would be recalled that the scores of self-seeking chiefs led by Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II called on the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to withdraw any license granted to Okobeng Mining within fourteen (14) days.

According to them, because of the company illegal activities, its operational works have degraded their land and polluted it’s rivers such as River Ankobra, streams and other river bodies on the said concession.

Speaking at a news conference held in Accra recently, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II, hinted that when Nananom and the people started complaining, about the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Amposah is using some methods to intimidate Nananom and the people of Gwira Traditional Area with armed land guards with offensive weapons.

He stated that the company has failed to compensate cocoa and other farmers whose farms have been destroyed depriving them their livelihood. When the elders demanded for land compensation, the company issued dull cheques to defraud us.

But in a counter press conference held in Gwira on Tuesday February 6, 2023, Nana Kpole Antoanah V flatly rubbished all the allegations against the company by Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II.

He reiterated that there are documentary envidences which generally showed that the company is a law abiding mining firm, and that since it started the gold mining operations in its concession at Dominase in Gwira, it has been working as prescribed in prescribed in the  Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (ACT 703) in Ghana.

The Adotenhene clarified that he was even the very traditional office holder of Gwira who received the various genuine cheques issued by Nana Okoben Amponsah to honour his mandatory payment of the various claims of compensation to the hundreds of cocoa farmers and other elders/ residents in Gwira were affected in the mining activities of the company.

The chief stressed that these lawfully compensation packages were paid to the farmers, particularly the cocoa growing ones, explaining that there are no true that the company has deprived the affected cocoa farmers in payment of their compensation packages due them.