Nana Gyamena Kwabena Oyiakwan II
NANA GYAMENA Kwabena Oyiakwan II, the Chief of Kwapia in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region, is demanding compensation from the Chinese Embassy over what he termed the destruction of lands belonging to the people and chiefs of Kwapia, by some Chinese nationals.
According to him, four Chinese nationals, namely Shi Li Wen, Huang When Jun, Li De Hao and Lan Hai Song, undertook illegal mining activities on the lands that are close to the Obuasi Airport strip.
Nana Oyiakwan told the media last Saturday that the illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, left a number of uncovered dug-outs on the 40-acre land which has been earmarked for residential and educational purposes, and would need to be recovered.
He said even though the case remains in court after appealing against their immediate deportation by the Kumasi High Court, negotiations for compensations to the affected people could bring about an out-of-court settlement.
Already, the Kwapia chief and his Krontihene, Nana Anokye Ababio, have sued the Obuasi Minerals Commission and two others at the High Court, claiming that they are assisting four Chinese nationals to undertake illegal mining activities on the concession that belongs to the chiefs and people of Kwapia without their consent.
In a statement of claim, Nana Oyiakwan and his co-applicant mentioned the other defendants as the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency, whom they claim permitted, assisted, and encouraged the Chinese to mine.
The chief indicated that they are also praying the court to help recover their land and ensure that it is properly reclaimed after the destruction, asserting that the defendants, although not Ghanaians, facilitated ECOWAS identity cards and Ghana cards for the Chinese nationals, who were working without work permits.
He accused some government officials for wrongfully exercising discretion in the granting of resident permits to foreigners without due regard to the interest of the nation.
He noted that the resident permits of the Chinese nationals had expired since 2013, but were left off the hook, thereby continuously engaging in galamsey activities to the detriment of the country.
“They could not even meet their bail conditions as set out by the court, yet they were freed and now they are nowhere to be found,” he stated and added that the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana made an attempt for an out-of-court settlement.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu