The chairman to the Bolgatanga Mining District chapter of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), Robert Boazor Tampoare, has been interdicted following some fraud-related allegations levelled against him by members of the Unique Mining Group.
The members of the group, of which Tampoare is also a member, first petitioned the national executive body of GNASSM about the alleged fraud. Some other members of the association also lodged a petition with the national executive body against him with respect to alleged false representation.
Following these petitions, the national executive body set up a five-member team called Sampson Wiredu Committee to investigate the claims.
Addressing the press in Bolgatanga, the Bolgatanga Mining District branch of GNASSM announced that the committee had completed its investigation and had recommended in a report that Tampoare be interdicted after establishing that he committed a fraudulent act.
Tampoare is said to have appropriated some $150,000 meant for the Unique Mining Group and opened a bank account in the name of the group at the Zenith Bank branch in Bolgatanga without the knowledge and consent of the other members of the group.
The $150,000 was offered to the group by the Earl International Group (Ghana) Gold Limited, formerly known as Shaanxi Mining Company Limited, for trespassing on the group’s concession in the Talensi District some years ago.
Earl International Group (Ghana) Gold Limited gave the money to the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, to be handed over to the Unique Mining Group. But the regional minister gave the money to Tampoare without the knowledge and consent of the other members of the Unique Mining Group. After taking the money from the regional minister, Tampoare deposited the money into his personal account at Zenith Bank in Bolgatanga. He did not inform the other members of the group about it until they found out themselves eight months later.
“We are very happy to inform you that, per the Samson Wiredu Committee’s report and the Advisory Committee’s report, Robert Boazor Tampoare has been interdicted (suspended) and the entire Bolgatanga District Executive dissolved.
“Meanwhile, the report directs that an interim executive should be put in place to manage the affairs of the small-scale miners, pending next year’s elections of substantive executive,” said the Recorder of the Bolgatanga Mining District branch of GNASSM, Zumah T. Yaro, at the press conference.
The members of the branch also commended the Sampson Wiredu Committee for what they described as a detailed job done. They noted that the outcome of the committee’s investigation had brought relief to members of the association from “the pain and the frustration which Robert Boazor Tampoare had taken us through”.
When Word News contacted Tampoare, he declined to comment on the allegations levelled against him but said the organisers of the press conference did not know what they were doing. He also stated that he would take the committee to court over the report.
Yaro also told newsmen that Tampoare was before the High Court ‘1’ in Bolgatanga on another case of fraud against members of the Unique Mining Group who reported him to the police for the alleged crime.
Below is a copy of the statement:
GHANA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SMALL-SCALE MINERS BOLGA DISTRICT (GNASSM)
PRESS
CONFERENCE STATEMENT
30/09/2023
Good day, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. You are all welcome to this very important conference with you.
We are the members of the Bolgatanga District Chapter of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM). This chapter comprises Bolgatanga, Nabdam, Talensi, Bongo, Bawku West, Builsa South and parts of the North East Region.
These districts are all mining districts. And our members are drawn from these districts to project our welfare and also to practise safe and responsible mining, et cetera.
In the past, there had been several challenges ranging from trespassing into members’ concession by support service groups, unsafe mining practices, alleged fraud involving some members as well as some members conniving with government appointees and traditional leaders to shortchange or cheat concessionaires. All efforts to get these challenges addressed proved futile. So, members have no option than to petition the National President of the association.
As recent as April 2023, the Unique Mining Group first petitioned the national executive body of the association on the actions of one Robert Boazor Tampoare who happened to be the Chairman of the Bolgatanga Chapter of the GNASSM. The petition was again followed up by another petition from some members of the association from the Bolgatanga Mining District.
In this light, a committee was formed by the National President to investigate and report on the matter. This committee was named Sampson Wiredu Committee.
The Sampson Wiredu Committee, which was made up of five members of the national executive, did investigate and reported same on the matter. We are very happy to inform you that, per the Samson Wiredu Committee’s report and the
Advisory Committee’s report, Robert Boazor Tampoare has been interdicted (suspended) and the entire Bolgatanga District Executive dissolved.
Meanwhile, the report directs that an interim executive should be put in place to manage the affairs of the small-scale miners, pending next year’s elections of substantive executive.
We commend the Sampson Wiredu Committee for a detailed job done and acknowledging our challenges and the recommendations for the solution. In fact, members are relieved from the pain and the frustration which Robert Boazor Tampoare had taken us through. Robert Boazor Tampoare is currently before the High Court ‘1’ in Bolgatanga on a matter of fraud against members of the Unique Mining Group who reported him to the police for fraud.
He has again falsified companies into a list of concessionaires of the Talensi zone i.e. Unique Mining Enterprise and has taken GhC150,OOO from the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council and the Minerals Commission as a proprietor to a non-existing company.
The recommendation made by the Advisory Committee also supports the suspension of Robert Boazor Tampoare and we think this is the best way to go. It also marks the beginning of knowing the length of the toad when it is dead. Robert Boazor Tampoare is known for infringing on the rights of miners, posing himself on other individuals’ concessions merely because he was the chairman of the association, and signing fictitious agreements with a Chinese company, Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited, without the consent of the concession holders.
He, as the chairman, had also refused to get some concessionaires who were paid compensation their due share of some royalty i.e. Mpeligiba Enterprise. He also allegedly opened an account at the Zenith Bank’s branch in Bolgatanga in the name of the Unique Mining Group with his friends who are not members of the Unique Mining Group. That matter is before the Divisional Police Command in Bolgatanga.
Just as we are ready to soldier on against his alleged criminal actions, we wish to serve notice to the entire interest groups, institutions and individuals in mining and notice is hereby served that anyone who deals with Robert Boazor Tampoare, especially Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited formerly known as Shaanxi Mining Company Limited, mineral commission and lands and natural resources ministry would be doing so at their own peril or risk. He is on suspension from the Unique Mining Group. He is on interdiction by the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners and he has no locus to represent any miner or concessionaire in the Bolgatanga Mining District.
We also call on the Minerals Commission at the district and the national level not to entertain Robert Boazor Tampoare in the dealings of small-scale miners.
Notice carefully that Robert Boazor Tampoare forcefully imposed himself on Namlaataba Enterprise and Yenyeya Mining Group and signed agreements together with his friends on their behalf. These matters are also in court. This is just to tell you the character that the miners had been working with for the past decade. The report speaks for it all. So, we hereby submit to you soft copies of the Sampson Wiredu Committee’s report signed by the General Secretary, Godwin Nii Amarh, for your study and publication of same.
We thank you all.
Long live Ghana. Long live (GNASSM).
Zumah T. Yaro (Recorder)
Sign: .
Telephone contact:
Abdulai Nitutuo (Convener)
Sign•
Telephone contact:
Source: mywordfmonline.com/ Gaspard Ayuureneeya