A fierce dispute has erupted in the Aboso Traditional Area of Western Ghana following a vocal clash between the Nananom (chiefs) of Aboso and the local branch of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, on ancestral lands.
In a strongly worded statement issued today, Nana Kwasi Appiah II, the sole Odikro (chief) of Aboso, warned the ruling NDC faction in the area to “keep off our lands for galamsey activities and respect our customs and traditions.”
He condemned comments by the Aboso NDC branch chairman, Mr. Dela, accusing him of undermining the traditional leadership’s efforts to join government initiatives in eradicating illegal mining.
Nana Kwasi Appiah II clarified that the Nananom had “unanimously galvanised resources to aid the government in seeing to the clearing of all illegal miners operating on our lands with impunity.”
This collaborative effort received “commendations from all across the board, both within and outside the western region.”
The conflict ignited when Mr. Dela publicly criticized the chiefs and the government for a recent operation aimed at clearing illegal miners from an ancestral parcel of land — unofficially dubbed “Gangway” — that has become a notorious hotspot for social vices and criminal activity.
Nana Kwasi Appiah II stated, “The said area… has been under the jurisdiction and stewardship of the Nananom of Aboso for generations, but for some time now has been turned into a den for all forms of nefarious activities that seek to desecrate our customs and traditions.”
The chiefs expressed grave concern that Mr. Dela “openly bragged that he knew the Lands Minister personally and other government appointees,” and vowed to leverage political connections to block efforts to restore the land. Nana Kwasi Appiah II described these declarations as “unfortunate, worrying and a threat to the peace and security of Nananom and their people.”
The statement also addressed claims by an individual calling himself Nana Asante, who purportedly presents himself as a rival chief and allegedly instigates the political faction’s activities on the land.
The traditional authority insists: “There is only one Odikro of Aboso, who is in the person of Nana Kwasi Appiah II,” and warns the public to “disregard comments by the said fake chief whose interest is merely to see to the destruction of Aboso ancestral lands, water bodies, and jeopardise the peace and harmony of the chiefs and people of Aboso.”
In a direct call to action, the Aboso chiefs appealed to government authorities—including the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni Valley, Hon. Wisdom Robert Cudjoe, the Western Regional Minister, and the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah—to intervene urgently.
They demanded that NDC party executives “immediately stay away from our stool lands to perpetrate their galamsey activities” and that illegal mining camps be swiftly dismantled.
The chiefs concluded with a warning: “Nananom will have no option but to use all available means to defend and protect our lands, which have been taken over by some members of the ruling NDC forcibly for their safety interests.”
This public standoff highlights the persistent tensions between political interests, illegal mining activities, and the custodianship of traditional lands in Ghana’s resource-rich regions.
