Gwira Banso chief calls for ban on galamsey amidst tension over River Ankonbra

Although the chief has not explained the reason forbanning the activities of miners in his area, information available to this to news outlet from the sources closed to the Banso palace indicate that Nana Ette Akrade II took the decision after watching the current exposé video in the news of the massive ongoing illegal small scale mining activities in Gwira Banso without recourse to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 Act 703.

For a couple of days ago, Nana Ette Akrade II was the very person who joined the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker, Paramount Chief of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II, including other chiefs to publicly attack the Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah, who is rather doing responsible mining on his legally and lawfully acquired gold mining concession at Dominase in Gwira.

This notwithstanding, the chief further incited the residents to rise against Nana Okoben Amponsah and his workers.

Nana Ette Akrade II together with chiefs who travelled from Gwira to Accra made series of allegations against Nana Okoben Amponsah and stated that his company is engaging in the mining activities in the concession at Dominase Gwira which has polluted river Ankobra.

In this regard, Nana Ette Akrade II and his followers called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to impress upon the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Minerals Commission to withdraw the various necessary prospective licences or permits from the Okoben Mining Company Limited.

But Nana Ette Akrade II has forgotten that there are ongoing illegal small scale mining activities in Gwira Banso community which were rather rather polluting the River Ankobra to the highest level.

However after Nana Ette Akrade II realized that there has been massive exposé on his endorsement of the illegal small scale mining activities in Banso enclave with the news going viral on local and social media platforms, he quickly makes u-turn to ban the illegal activities of the galamseyers in area for three months.

The chief took this decision, ostensibly to create the impression that he is working to help President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to flush out these miners in order to protect the River Ankobra and fertile farm lands in his area.

However, the banning of the activities of illegal small miners in the area by Nana Ette Akrade II was greeted with the resistance of the miners which situation is currently brewing tension and confusion in the various communities within the Banso in Gwira Traditional Area.

The pandemonium follows the Saturday February 18, 2023 public announcement made by Nana Ette Akrade II at the funeral ground in Banso community center that the traditional authorities have placed ban on the illegal small scale mining activities in the area for three months.

Information available to this news outlet indicate that Nana Ette Akrade II has stated that he has actively consulted his elders before taken such decision to ban galamsey operations in his traditional area of jurisdiction.

All these were taken after the journalists has conducted investigations on the illegal small scale mining activities in Gwira Banso and reported the devastated effect of the situation in the area with the confrontation of Nana Ette Akrade II.

The investigations indicated that the Palace of the Gwira Banso Chief, Nana Ette Akrade II, may be invaded very soon by these illegal miners who are from Mali, Niger, China and Ghana with excavators to prospect for gold should the menace continue unabated in the area.

The aerial photographs of the river Ankobra on the stretch of Gwira Banso community on Thursday February 18, 2024, show that illegal miners are having a field day as the colour of the River has changed from its natural state to orange or yellow.

Residents of the Ankobra community located on the banks of the River are unable to use the water for house chores due to its current state.

The investigations by the journalists captured in the video shows that illegal miners in Gwira Banso were mining deeply in River Ankobra which has worsen the already yellow colour. The sad aspect of this illegality is that Nana Ette Akrade II, who claims to be a crusader against illegal mining activities in Gwira Traditional Area, is silent about the situation, the investigation has revealed

The current state of the river Ankobra is that it has been polluted by the illegal small scale mining activities, which evidence contradicts the clean state of the river claimed recently by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. George Mireku Duker who led the delegation of government appointees in the persons of Western Regional Acting Boss of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Francis Annobil and DCE for Ellembelle, Mr Kwasi Bonzoh on Thursday February 16 2023, to tour the river Ankobra.

However the residents blasted the chief for making u-turn to ban illegal small scale mining activities in his community after join Mr, Duker, Paramount Chief of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-Agyan II and Chief of Gwira Abelebu, Nana Dominle Mieza II, including other chiefs to publicly attack the Managing Director (MD) of Okoben Mining Mining Company Limited, Nana Okoben Amponsah.

The residents asserted that Nana Ette Akrade II also supported the claimed by Mr. Duker who was accompanied in his tour of Ankobra River by the Western Regional Acting Boss of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Francis Annobil and DCE for Ellembelle, Mr Kwasi Bonzoh on Thursday February 16 2023 who noted that the return of the Ankobra River and other water-bodies to their pure status is a reflection of the strides made by government’s fight against illegal mining.

However, the the illegal miners living in Gwira Banso who are from Mali Niger China and Ghana has who got wind of the information of banning of the illegal small scale mining activities in the area got furious and descended heavily on the chief.

The miners, according to the sources were not in support of the ideal and decision of the chief to ban their illegal small scale mining activities.

The miners were reported to have expressed disappointment at the chief saying that they could not fathom why the chief has taken such inhumane decision since the chief has allegedly collected an amount of GH¢1000 as Banso community living fee from each of the illegal miner before allowing them to operate in his community.

According to them, the chief also charged them (illegal small scale miners) 20% on the gold resources mined on his land

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