May 25, 2025 – The Nzemamanle Traditional Council (NTC) has appealed to Paramount Chiefs, Divisional Chiefs, and other stakeholders to bury their differences and forge ahead in unity for accelerated development.
The appeal was made at a Council meeting held yesterday at Ambainu in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
The Council said the Nzema area and the Western Region lag behind in development due to disunity, personal attacks, “pull-him-down” attitudes, and institutional and personal differences.
Paramount Chief of the Lower Axim Traditional Area and President of the Lower Axim Traditional Council, Awulae Attibrukusu III, made this known to the media on the sidelines of the Nzemamanle Traditional Council meeting.
The meeting, which was themed “Unity,” provided the Council the opportunity to call on all interest groups and development partners in the Nzema area to set aside their differences and speak with one voice to promote development in the area.
Awulae Attibrukusu III emphasized the need to fight the galamsey menace by burning chanfans used for illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.
He also called for stiffer punishments and jail terms for illegal miners to discourage others from engaging in such practices.
The Paramount Chief urged the government to revoke illegal mining licenses and issue genuine ones in the quest for sustainable mining practices.
He said the Nzemamanle Traditional Council was ready to collaborate with the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the government to combat galamsey.
Awulae Attibrukusu III advocated for community-sponsored mining, initiated by the people themselves, in a sustainable manner to create more jobs for local communities.
He also highlighted the Nzemamanle Council Office Complex at Ambainu, built by the late Madam Eunice Buah, former Western Regional Member of the Council of State. He suggested that the Council should send a delegation to her family to express interest in using the building for Council meetings.
Paramount Chief of the Nsein Traditional Council, Awulae Agyevi Kwame, expressed concern that between 2017 and 2024, the Ashanti Region ranked first in terms of Ghana National Gas developmental projects, ahead of the Western Region.
He called for a change in this trend, stressing the need for the Western Region to witness unprecedented development going forward.
Awulae Agyevi Kwame, who now serves on the new board of Ghana Gas, urged the Council to investigate what became of the $5 million earmarked by Ghana Gas for the development of Nzema under the previous administration.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, emphasized the need for more lecturers at the School of Ghanaian Languages at Ajumako to train Nzemas to teach the Nzema language in first and second cycle schools.
He called on the Council to rally behind his Ministry and other relevant agencies in the fight against galamsey.
He assured traditional rulers that the issuance of new mining licenses would begin at the local level starting with traditional rulers and a committee at the District Assembly before final approval by the Minerals Commission in Accra.
The Minister noted that some mining companies with legal licenses were facilitating illegal mining by ceding parts of their concessions to unlicensed miners.
He added that investigations were ongoing to identify and prosecute the perpetrators.
Hon. Buah announced that his Ministry had developed a new policy under the Cooperative Mining Code to allow communities to mine part of existing concessions sustainably, thereby curbing land and water body degradation.
Western Regional Member of the Council of State, H.E. Dr. Maxwell Boakye, reiterated the need for the Western Region to forget past divisions and unite as one people.
He observed that despite the region’s abundant natural resources and significant contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), development continued to lag.
He stressed that the development of the Western Region depended on unity among traditional rulers and appealed to them to forgive each other and focus on development.
Dr. Boakye said traditional rulers, political leaders, and development partners would soon visit the Flagstaff House the seat of government to present their case to the President and assured them of the Council of State’s readiness to support their vision.
Paramount Chief of the Gwira Traditional Area, Awulae Angama Tu Agyan, lamented that Okobeng Mines had entered the Gwira area without the prior consent of traditional authorities and had been mining for years without contributing even a single borehole to the community.
He said the company orchestrated the arrest of three of his chiefs who attempted to access their own lands.
He added that since Okobeng Mines began operations, no one had been allowed to step on their concessions or even cut bamboo.
He appealed to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to deny any future mining licenses to Okobeng Mines.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited, Madam Judith Adjobah Blay, in a speech read on her behalf by Lawyer Abizi Morkeh of Ghana Gas, said she would continue to engage traditional rulers to chart a common path toward bringing more development to the Western Region and the project’s catchment areas.
She encouraged the youth to pursue higher education, especially in engineering and technical fields, to qualify for employment with the Company.
Madam Blay assured the people that Ghana Gas would provide fair employment opportunities for youth in the Nzema area and the Western Region.
She also stated that Phase Two of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited would soon be completed, along with an ultra-modern trauma hospital, which was already 70% complete.
Madam Blay assured the Nzemamanle Traditional Council that from 2025 to 2028, the Nzema area and the Western Region would lead in terms of development projects initiated by Ghana Gas.
By Kodwo Nyamekeh
