NPP Gurus Who 'Hired' Gwira  Chiefs To Sabotage  Okoben Mining Boss To Be Exposed Soon!

Names of some top appointees in the New Patriotic Patty (NPP) in the Western Region who had secretly hired or supported chiefs to be transported from the Gwira Traditional Area in Evalue-Ajomoro- Gwira Municipality to Accra to hold series of media events to sabotage the Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah, will soon be exposed and shamed in the public.

The names of yet-to-be named personalities will blow the minds of Ghanaians after seeing the extent to which, these big men of the government in the Western Region, have been unfair to Nana Okoben Amponsah by supporting these chiefs, to deliberately destroy his company which has employed thousands of youths in this country.

The delegation of chiefs led by the President of the Gwira Traditional Council, Awulae Agama Tu-Agyan II, were in Accra currently doing the bidding of their paymasters.

They had held series of press conferences, appeared on television shows and met various top managers of Mineral Commission of Ghana, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, ostensibly to push their agenda for their paymasters to score their evil points against Nana Okoben Amponsah.

On Wednesday February 1, 2023, the Omanhene of the Gwira Traditional Area, Awulae Agama Tu-Agyama II, together with his team held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. George Mireku Duker, and asked him to use his executive position to influence President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ban Okoben Mining  Company Limited from mining on its legally and lawfully acquired concession at Dominase in Gwira.

During the said meeting, the chiefs also asked the deputy minster to impress upon the Minerals Commission to withdraw any license(s) granted to Okoben Mining Company Limited to operate in any parts of the Gwira Traditional Area.

The chiefs alleged that the mining company, over the past six years, has been engaging in illegal small-scale mining, otherwise known as “galamsey” in the area, which had destroyed cocoa farms and polluted the Ankobra River, the main source of drinking water for the people.

The chiefs said poisonous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide used by the mining company to extract gold had caused the people to suffer from various skin diseases and other ailments.

They chiefs indicated that the company had also refused to pay any compensation to farmers whose cocoa farms were destroyed due to the illegal mining activities while the lands degraded by the mining firm had not been reclaimed.

In view of that, the Traditional Council petitioned the Minerals Commission, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency, and Ghana Police Service as a matter of urgency to, within 14 days, withdraw any licence(s) granted to Okoben Mining Company to operate in any part of Gwira Traditional Area.

This notwithstanding, the leadership of Gwira Traditional Council has officially assigned the Chief of Gwira Banso, Nana Ette Akrade II, and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II, to appear on the show of Joy Television on Tuesday, February 6, 2023.

Shockingly, the two chiefs used the Joy Television platform to accuse Nana Okoben Amponsah of showing disrespect to elders of the area as well as using land-guards and macho-men to intimidate farmers/residents on their farm lands.

The two who confirmed that they had represented the interest of Gwira Traditional Council headed by Awulae Agama Tu-Agyan II reiterated their earlier call 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's illegal activities, its operational works have degraded their land and polluted their rivers such as River Ankobra, streams and other water bodies on the said concession.

They added that Mr. Amposah is using methods to intimidate Nananom and the people of Gwira Traditional Area with armed land guards with offensive weapons.

The two 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 the celebrated business mogul has escaped the evil plots being hatched by these  chefs since Nana Okoben Amponsah has gotten a backing from majority of elders, kingmakers, queen mothers and chiefs who are custodial owners of the lands in Gwira who had given the concession to him in the area.

This is because the worrisome allegations leveled against his gold mining company by these chiefs who accused 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 has turned out to be a cocktail of imaginary tales, potential libel and a one-sided vicious trial by media.

These prominent traditional office holders including the Adotenhene of Tumiatu in the Gwira, Nana Kpole Antoanah V, Paramount Queen-mother of the Gwira, Nana Adwoa Affiah, and the Principal Head of the Amanrakpanyim Family of Gwria, Nana Alumenza lll have jumped into strong defend of the company.

They stressed that looking at the huge contributions being made to development in Gwira by Nana Okoben Amponsah in the area of provisions of health infrastructure, insurance, education, roads, social welfare, security, water and sanitation including of provision of cars to various chiefs and police station in the area, they would not allowed these self seeking chiefs to sabotage Nana Okoben Amponsah and his company.

Addressing a press conference in Gwira, Nana Kpole Antoanah V disclosed that 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 the miner started mining activities on his legally acquired gold mining concession from the Gwira Stool, he bought many luxury cars and gave to some chiefs free of charge.

Nana Kpole Antoanah V stated that they were surprised that Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II after gotten many offers from Nana Okoben Amponsah would turned his back at the seasoned miner and went to join the forces to sabotage Nana Okoben Amponsah to look awkward in the faces 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 the traditional authorities and got the necessary legal license (s) from the state mining regulatory institutions including Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, we have been monitoring the company 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 illegal miners popularly known as 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. Nana Okoben Amponsah gives car to Tufohene, he gives car to Wiawsohene. So what l am saying is that all the four luxury cars were given to us by Nana Okobea Amposah," he disclosed.

He stressed that "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. 

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. 

"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.

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.

For her part, the Paramount Queen-mother of the Gwira Traditional Area, Nana Adwoa Affiah told the journalists, Nana Okobeng Amponsah, his company has been mining gold resource on his 31.5 kilometers square legally acquired gold mining concession as being prescribed in the  Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (ACT 703) in Ghana.

She pointed out that since Nana Okobeng Amponsah has legally secured a 31.5 kilometers square gold mining concession at Dominase and subsequently secured the legal environmental license and permit from the state mining regulatory institutions including Mineral Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there were a clear evidences in the area that the miner has not violated the law and regulations regulating the activities of mining gold resources.

Nana Adwoa Affiah who gave a historical perspective to the issue, challenged a gazette being held by Angama Tuagyan as the document that legitimizes his supposed rulership. 

Nana Adwoa Affiah stated without equivocation that Okobeng Mining Company Limited has not been banned from mining in its concession at Dominase in Gwira.

She described Angama Tuagyan as a dishonest person for leading the delegation of chiefs from Gwira to come to Accra ostensibly to soil the image of Nana Okoben Amponsah who is very instrumental in bringing socio economic development and growth to the area.

The Queen-mother pointed out that they "were surprised to hear that Angama Tuagyan was currently leading the chiefs to attack the integrity of the Okoben Mining Company Limited, forgetting that he is the one who has brought Nana Okoben Amponsah to Gwira to secure 31.5 kilometre square mining concession at Dominase in Gwira.
 
She mentioned that Angama Tuagyan seeing the legitimacy and truth in Nana Okoben Amponsah, he came to organize meeting to officially introduce Nana Okoben Amponsah to the various elders, and youths in the area.

She asserted that Angama Tuagyan in such meeting told the whole Gwira community that Nana Okoben Amponsah is the legal miner and successful business mogul who has prepared to mine in the area to bring the needed development.
 
For his part, the Principal Head of the family, Nana Alumenza lll said Angama Tuagyan has his chieftaincy status challenged in Senkodi High Court and that he has not been recognized as the Paramount chief of the Gwira Chief as far the traditions and customs of the area are concerned.

He added that the embattled chief has no chieftaincy and traditional capacity to ban Okoben Mining Company which has been mining legally and lawfully in the area for almost 25 years without violating Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (ACT 703).

He asserted that his chieftaincy gazette is questionable and that there is an ongoing trial at the Senkodi High Court to expunge his name from the register of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi.

Nana Alu menza lll noted that the embattled chief even leading a delegation of the chiefs of  Gwira Traditional Area to Accra to make these false statements is a clear violation of the traditions, customs, norms of the Gwira Traditional Area.

In this sense, Nana Alu menza lll reiterated their earlier call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and general public to disregard the claims by Angama Tuagyan that the traditional authorities of Gwira have banned the company from mining on its gold mining concession at Dominase.