The Paramount Chief of Talensi, Tongorana Kugbilsong-Nanlebgtang has come under immense pressure from his own subjects in the Upper East to resign from his positions in government as a Member of Council of State (MoCoS) and Board Chairman of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), because of what they alleged to be his direct involvement with the dealings and operations of a Chinese mining company called Shaanxi in the region.
A group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Talensi (CCT) made the call when they held a press conference last Monday in the Upper East.
Addressing the press, the leader of the group Samuel Sapak stated that, “We have always raised many concerns about some corrupt activities of Shaanxi including bribing of public officials and traditional authorities to the neglect of their national and patriotic duties to the people and country without let.”
He said, “Last year, we brought to the public notice the illegal status of Shaanxi which is pretending to provide support services to Yenyeya and Pubodtaaba mining groups while engaging in illegal large scale mining. Shaanxi did this to avoid taxation, social responsibilities, compensations and many other important obligations.”
Mr. Sapak lamented: “One of our major problems in Talensi has been the support Shaanxi has been enjoying from the Tongorana, the district assembly all the way up to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources who knows everything but does nothing.
He pointed out that in their botched attempt to suppress justice and sway it in favor of Shaanxi in the recent leaked bribery tape, Justice Jacob Boon a Bolgatanga High Court Judge, Hon. Rockson Bukari, a Minister of State at the Presidency and the Tongorana were all mentioned in the tape which led to the resignation of Mr. Rockson whiles the Tongorana still remains at post as a Council of State member representing the Upper East Region and the Board Chairman of TOR.
The group leader stated that the Tongorana was mentioned by the minister as one who was much interested in killing the story and that if the investigative journalist pursued the case, it would affect Tongorana and Shaanxi.
“We understand the Tongorana released a press statement trying to dissociate himself from the expose. However, we are yet to witness how a tortoise can be a tortoise without its conspicuous and self-defining shell. But before he can dissociate himself from the Adeti expose’, we call on him, the Tongorana to first ask Hon. Rockson Bukari to publicly retract his statement about Tongorana’s lead interest in the act of suppressing Justice, the group stated.
“We, the Concerned Citizens of Talensi, would like to encourage the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to purge himself from Shaanxi’s black paint by revoking Shaanxi’s license with immediate effect to nullify the impression created by Shaanxi’s posture that, they have all been bought to decide and act in their favour. Their continued operation is likely to provoke a bloody conflict as against the hard work done to ensure peace in the area. Talensis would not hesitate to stop Shaanxi from operating if the ministry fails to do so”, the group leader threatened.
We the Concerned Citizens of Talensi therefore call on him to resign from the Council of State and the Board of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). We will initiate an absolute vote of no confidence on him by the electorate if he does not resign from the Council of State. We wonder what good counsel can come from such character to the first gentleman of the land.
