The Paramount Chief of Talensi, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang, is not far from hatching another obstructive plan after a new court ruling went in favour of a young man whom he openly dislikes with a measure of determination that reminds people of King Saul’s ill-fated pursuit of David in the Bible.
The ruling was delivered by a High Court on Monday, 8 June 2026, in Bolgatanga, capital of Ghana’s Upper East Region.
The young man, named Zongdan Boyak Kolog, but better known by his nickname Polo, is the plaintiff in a case he filed in 2023 at that court against Shaanxi Mining (Ghana) Limited, a Chinese company operating in Talensi.
The chief is making no secret about his ‘godfather’ support for Shaanxi, despite a proven 2018 bribery scandal and several serious human rights abuse allegations involving the company since its arrival in Talensi in 2008 as a technical support service provider to two local mining groups, Yenyeya and Pubortaaba.
Polo went to court after the Chinese company, now operating as a large-scale company with a different name Earl International Group (Ghana) Gold Limited, laid claim to his licensed small-scale concession at Gban (also spelt Gbane) in the east of Talensi.
He asked the court for a police protection order so he could run his gold-mining business at his site in peace.
Granting his application, the court ordered the police to protect and assist him.
But immediately after the court granted that application, the chief wrote a letter to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno. In the letter, he said he disapproved of Polo’s request and, citing some reasons, asked the police to not provide him with the protection and assistance he sought.
Several observers marked those reasons as “petty” and “lies with no root”.
Ignoring his letter, the police national headquarters wired a statement to Bolgatanga, directing the Upper East Regional Police Command to enforce the court order.
But before the police could set off to Gban to execute the court order, Shaanxi rushed back to the court with a motion for stay of execution.
In a rapid response, Polo’s lawyers filed an affidavit, opposing the motion.
The development prevented the police from carrying out the order without delay, pending the judge’s decision on the motion and the affidavit.
Ruling on both on Monday, trial judge Ernest Pascal Gemadzie threw out the motion and upheld his earlier order.
With emphasis, the judge directed the police to provide “protection and assistance” to the plaintiff, and warned that any failure to obey would amount to contempt of court.
It was all joy for Polo’s supporters. But for Shaanxi’s side, the court’s dismissal of the motion felt like a harmattan wind blowing out their lamp.
And the one person who would feel the sting most is the paramount chief who, in his usual defence of the Chinese firm, recently labelled claims that the company was exploiting his own people as “propaganda”.
Six ‘baseless’ reasons the chief mentioned in his letter
In his letter to the IGP, the Tongraan mentioned six reasons for asking the police to ignore the court order.
First, he claimed Polo lacked the licence and permit required to mine. Second, he stated that Polo had surrendered his concession to the Chinese company and accepted a compensation package, just like some other concessionaires.
Third, the paramount chief said the small-scale miner had hurled insults at the Talensi Traditional Council. He added that Polo was on trial for possessing “illegal weapons”, and separately for transporting two people to a fetish priest who allegedly killed them with a concoction over witchcraft accusations.
Fourth, he claimed Polo had made several attempts to invade Gban with “unauthorised persons”.
According to the Tongraan, only the intervention of the Chief of Gban, Elijah Nab Pardnyuun, prevented the purported move from triggering a bloody clash.
“In view of the above disrespect and disregard for the law and the Traditional Council, Zongdan Boayak Kolog and Nanlamtaaba Enterprise cannot be allowed to do small scale [sic] mining in Talensi Land since their presence would be a threat to the peace and security of the area.
“We therefore urge you not to grant him any police protection to go into his so-called mining concession which is within the large scale [sic] mining area of Earl Mining Company,” the Tongraan stated.
Response from anti-corruption organisation
The National Patriots against Injustice and Corruption Ghana (NAPAIC-Ghana) fired back at the paramount chief’s letter to the IGP.
In a counter-letter dated 5th March 2026, the anti-graft group urged the IGP to dismiss the Tongraan’s letter “with the contempt it deserves”, arguing the chief had no locus to order police to ignore a court ruling and was only seeking to create “fear and panic” as usual.
NAPAIC-Ghana then rebutted the Tongraan’s claims. It affirmed that Polo’s Nanlamtaaba Enterprise was fully licensed and permitted by state regulators, and challenged the chief to prove that Polo surrendered his concession to the Chinese company and received compensation.
The group also stated that the insults alleged by the chief were false and condemned the chief’s depiction of Polo as already guilty of illegal weapons and witchcraft-related charges as “contemptuous” and “ridiculous”.
On the final claims of planned invasions of Gban, NAPAIC-Ghana said the statement made by the chief was prejudicial and driven by personal hatred, and hinted it would support Polo to sue the Tongraan and file a motion for contempt of court over the “unsubstantiated and contemptuous” comments.
This is not the only instance that an action led by the paramount chief has been described as “baseless” by important authorities and entities.
The paramount chief sued his colleague— the Paramount Chief of Chiana, Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III— at a High Court in Bolgatanga over an election that took place at the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs in 2024.
The civil case lasted six months, with the trial judge Charles Gyamfi Danquah stating in his judgment on Monday, 24 March 2025, that the suit brought by the Tongraan had no basis.
“The action constitutes an abuse of the process of the court. The suit is, therefore, dismissed,” the judge, who doubles as a justice of appeal, remarked.
Known for his determination to defend the interests of the Chinese company at all costs, many believe the Tongraan will come up with another plot against Polo following the latest court ruling to prevent him from doing his business at his site.
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana/West Africa
