The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Okobeng Mining Company, Nana Okobeng Amponsah, has escaped the evil plots allegedly being hatched by some chiefs in Gwira Traditional Council led by its embattled Paramount Chief, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II.
This followed a strong defence put up by the Amanrakpanyim Family of Gwira Traditional Stool led by Paramount Queen Mother in support of Nana Amponsah and his mining firm.
Nana Amponsah has been accused by the embattled Paramount Chief of Gwira for apparently engaging in illegal mining activities and in the process, polluted River Ankobra, streams and river bodies near his gold concession at Dominase.
As a result of this, Nana Amponsah was allegedly banned him from entering Gwira lands to operate his gold mining business.
However, this claim by the embattled Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II, has strongly been contested to by the Amanrakpanyim Family of Gwira Traditional Stool.
Unfounded allegations
At a news conference held on Saturday, the principal kingmakers and accredited elders of the Amanrakpanyim Family of Gwira Traditional Stool in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region expressed their surprise at the allegations levelled against the Okobeng Mining Company
The Paramount Queen Mother of the Gwira Traditional Area, Nana Adwoa Affiah, who led the onslaught noted that Okobeng Mining Company is legitimate business that operates within the confines of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (ACT 703) and a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to her, the company has been mining gold resource on a 31.5 kilometers square of land it legally acquired.
She added that the miner has not violated any of the laws regulating the activities of mining gold resources in the area.
Historical facts
Nana Adwoa Affiah who gave a historical perspective to the issue, also challenged a gazette, allegedly legitimizing Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II chieftaincy.
The Queen Mother stated that the claim by Angama Tu-Agyan II that the traditional council has banned Okobeng Mining Company Limited cannot hold as the council has not taken such a decision.
Flanked by some accredited elders and kingmakers of Gwira, Nana Adwoa Affiah said they learnt with shock and utter dismay the said ban.
She stated without equivocation that Okobeng Mining Company Limited has not been banned from mining in its concession at Dominase in Gwira.
Mining activity stopped
Nana Adwoa Affiah stated that although the traditional authorities had given the land to the company to mine gold, the company for the past two years, has stopped working on its legally acquired gold mining concession due to some challenges.
As a result of the company’s inactivity, some illegal miners including Chinese nationals, have invaded the concession.
She disclosed that these illegal miners are using earth moving machines to carry out their activities without recourse to the laws of the country.
The Queen Mother further pointed out that it was the activities of these illegal miners that the embattled Tu-Agyan II and his men were invited to Accra to speak to but deliberately laid the blame at the doorsteps of Okobeng Mining Company, ostensibly, to incur the wrath of the government.
She described Angama Tu-Agyan II as a dishonest person for leading the delegation of chiefs from Gwira to Accra to dent the image of Nana Okobeng Amponsah who has been very instrumental in bringing socio economic development and growth to the area.
Surprise
The Queen Mother pointed out that they “were surprised to hear that Angama Tu-Agyan II was currently leading the chiefs to attack the integrity of the Okoben Mining Company Limited, forgetting that he is the one who brought Nana Okoben Amponsah to Gwira to secure 31.5 kilometre square mining concession at Dominase in Gwira”.
She mentioned that Angama Tu-Agyan II seeing the legitimacy and truth in Nana Okoben Amponsah, organized a meeting to officially introduce the business man to the various elders, and the youth in the area.
She asserted that Angama Tu-Agyan II in such a meeting told the whole Gwira community that Nana Okobeng Amponsah is a legal miner and successful business mogul who has been permitted to mine in the area to bring the needed development.
“We are saying that it is very shameful and disgusting that Angama Tu-Agyan II would be following the instructions of some politicians to come to Accra to fight Nana Okobeng Amponsah. It is so sad that today Angama Tuagyan having benefited or gotten what he wants from the company, he [Angama Tuagyan] has turned his back at Nana Okobeng Amponsah and gone to join the top political personalities in Western Region to fight Nana Okobeng Amponsah without doing any wrong thing.
“We saying that we the allodial owners of the Gwira stool are not going to sit down unconcerned for Angama Tu-Agyan II and his followers to destroy the hard won reputation of Nana Okobeng Amponsah because since the miner is working in the area he has brought a lot of social and infrastructure development to the area,” the elders noted.
On his part, the Principal Head of the family, Nana Alumenza lll said Angama Tu-Agyan II has his chieftaincy status challenged at Sekondi 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 Okobeng Mining Company which has been operating lawfully in the area for almost 25 years.
