Alleged pollution of Ankobra River: Tufuhene of Gwira Assuawuah bares teeth at chiefs, defends Okoben

Tufuhene of Asowa in Gwira Traditional Area in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region, Nana Addae Blay V, has 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 he terms as attacks on Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah.

According to him, the various accusations leveled 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 and give them out t foreign nationals who undertake illegal mining activities.

Nana Addae Blay V was responding to the outburst by the aforementioned chiefs against the gold mining company of Nana Okoben Amponsah.

Nana Addae Blay V pointed out that Nana Okoben Amponsah's company is keen on ensuring that there are toilet facilities, potable drinking water, roads, environmental sanitation, health, education 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 miner.

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

He stated that "if not because of Okoben Amponsah who comes to Gwira to secure these track lands for the gold mining concession, thousands of illegal miners, particularly foreign nationals would have invaded these lands and indiscriminately mine the gold illegally and unlawfully to destroy the lands as at now."

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

He stressed that claims by the chiefs that they were helping the government in the fight against illegal small-scale mining in the area that is a complete hoax.

He stressed that there were pieces of evidence that attests to the fact that these chiefs hatched evil plots against the company because they want the government to revoke the licence(s) from the Okoben Mining Company Limited.


"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 agendas," Nana Addae Blay V vowed.

He stressed that looking at the huge contributions being made by Nana Okoben Amponsah in the areas o social and infrastructure development in Gwira, the 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 shown great respect to all the traditional office holders, chiefs queen-mothers in Gwira including his host mining communities.

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

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

"I wondered why these chiefs were accusing the company of doing galamsey activities but if you come to Gwira Asowa, you would see thousands of illegal Chinese miners who had invaded the area and indiscriminately mining gold resources on the blind side of national security officers and military galamsey taskforce.

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

He noted that there are pieces of documentary evidence which show that the gold-mining company is committed to providing jobs, paying taxes and royalties, sourcing with local businesses.