The Chief of Banso in the Gwira Traditional Area in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Municipality of the Western Region, Nana Ette Akrade II, has been accused of inciting the youth in the area against the Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah and government officials for not bringing socioeconomic development to the Gwira Traditional Area.
Sources indicated that the chief has indirectly been beaten drums of violence against the company accusing it of not being able to properly construct roads in the area since it was granted the environmental gold mining permits/licenses for the Okoben to mine gold resources in the area.
However, per the laws of this country, mining have no power or mandate to construct roads in their host communities unless its in pernership with government, and especially when resources are available. Therefore the behaviour of the chief is inciting the youths/residents against government of Ghana.
Nana Ette Akrade II, who is still in active service as a military officer has been spotted in a video inciting residents, particularly the youths against the mining company and government.
During a public gathering held at Gwira on Saturday February 11, 2023, Nana Ette Akrade told the youth to ensure that 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 spot them on their mining concession since the Gwira Traditional Council has banned 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 move to Accra to report the attitude of the company to the management of the Minerals Commission and Minster of Lands and Natural Resources, but we were told that they would respond to us, we don’t
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 the 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 tranquillity in the area. They therefore pleaded with National Security to ensure that Nana Ette Akrade II,faced the full wrath of the law.
They expressed disappointment in the 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 is a 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 elders of the area 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 said 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 fight against the company. They accused him supplying diesel fuel for the illegal miners who are workings in his area of jurisdiction.
They accused the chief of 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.
