The Alliance for Gban Development, a youth group in the Gban community of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region, has raised the alarm over what it describes as growing threats, intimidation, and insecurity allegedly orchestrated by Zongdan Boyak Kolog, popularly known as Poloo and his associates.
Speaking at a press conference held in Gban over the weekend, the group’s secretary, John Kpal Bognaab, laid bare the community’s grievances and called for swift government and security intervention to avert looming chaos.
The Alliance for Gban Development accused Poloo, a native of the nearby Yameriga community, of repeatedly disturbing the peace in Gban through unauthorized mining activities and violent attacks.
The group stated that Poloo, who had made his fortune through small-scale mining in Gban, had failed to respect the collective transition to large-scale mining, which Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited manages.
According to Mr. Bognaab, Poloo was part of prior engagements and agreements between stakeholders during the transition to large-scale mining. “We have evidence that Polo participated actively in these engagements sponsored by the mining company. Yet, he now denies any involvement and has resorted to threats, intimidation, and provocation,” he stated.
The youth group narrated a series of violent incidents, including a shooting spree on January 25 and 26 this year when Poloo allegedly led a group believed to include armed men to storm the community mining area. “They fired sporadic gunshots, causing panic and forcing residents, including schoolchildren and health workers, to flee,” Mr. Bognaab recounted.
In response to this accusation, Tiroug Yaro Zumah, who identified himself as personal Secretary to Poloo, denied the claims that Poloo was trying to destabilize the peace of Gban. But when he was pushed further, Mr. Zumah said that even though Poloo “was taken to court for allegedly firing arms and possessing arms,” the claims against him may not be valid.
In a more recent development on May 31, a combined team of police and military officers arrested eight men allegedly hired by Poloo, who were reportedly armed and moving menacingly through the area. The youth group claims that Poloo holds no valid mining lease in Gban, a claim they say is backed by checks with state mining regulatory agencies.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we wish to state clearly, based on our checks with the state agencies regulating the mining sector, that Poloo has no valid lease or concession anywhere in Gban. The lease he has been holding onto is currently not valid and, for want of a better word, non-existent,” Bognaab emphasized.
Regarding this claim, Secretary to Poloo Tiroug Yaro Zumah refuted it. “Poloo owns a legitimate concession, and his license is very active. He had an issue with Earl International, where Earl International wanted to acquire his concession by force. He went to court, and the court injunctured Earl International from operating on his concession. We have written to the police that people who are mining on Poloo’s concession are illegal miners,” Mr Zumah stated.
Members of the group who came out in their numbers expressed deep concern that without immediate intervention, the region could become the next flashpoint of violence. They called on the Minerals Commission to publicly clarify that Poloo has no legal mining claim in Gban and urged security agencies to expedite their investigations, applying the law firmly and impartially.
“We are lucky to have avoided casualties twice. But who knows what a third visit from Poloo might bring?” Bognaab warned.
In addition to law enforcement action, the group appealed to the Tongraan, the traditional overlord of the Talensi area, to summon the Yameriga chief and elders to caution their relative. “We believe if he has any respect for family and tradition, he may be restrained,” said the secretary.
The group also extended an invitation to the regional authorities, MDCEs, and the Upper East Regional Minister to intervene and help mediate the rising tensions. They also encouraged Earl International to deepen its engagement with the local youth and chiefs to ensure sustainable coexistence and employment for the people of Gban.
“We want peace, not war. But if we are forced to defend our lives and future, we will do so,” Secretary Mr. Bognaab concluded, reiterating the Alliance for Gban Development’s commitment to defending their community through lawful and peaceful means.
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