APINTO DIVISIONAL COUNCIL-TARKWA NSUAEM
The chiefs and inhabitants of the Apinto Divisional Council in the Western Region’s Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality have urged the government that when the current lease expires in April 2027, the Gold Fields mining concession should be given to a completely Ghanaian-owned business.
Such a step, according to them, would enable a local mining business to make the most of the nation’s mineral wealth instead of letting it be controlled by outsiders.
The Gyasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council, Nana (Dr) Adarkwa Bediako II, stated at a news conference in the neighbourhood that the appeal provided the nation with a historically significant chance to benefit as much as possible from its natural resources while correcting the ongoing imbalance between mineral extraction and the growth of host communities. News updates from the area
He urged civil society organisations, the Minerals Commission, Parliament, the government, and the ministry of the sector, along with well-meaning Ghanaians, to realise that it was time for Ghanaians to control their mines. Reference for Geography
“We are convinced that this project would usher in a new era of inclusive, accountable, and sustainable mining that benefits both the country and its host communities,” he said.
The traditional council, according to Nana Bediako, fully supported the state’s request for a state-owned mining enterprise in Tarkwa.
Overseas-owned mine
“We believe that the shift from a foreign-owned mine to a Ghanaian-owned mining business will not only promote Ghana’s national economic interests but will also guarantee that Apinto’s traditional authorities and host communities, whose ancestral lands have supported mining for generations, will benefit,” Nana Bediako said. Ghana’s Economic Reports
According to him, the Apinto Divisional Council has seen the operations of multinational mining companies like Gold Fields Ghana and AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem, among others, for many decades.
“Despite their lengthy presence in our region, their activities have not significantly helped the host communities develop overall.
Nana Bediako said, “A recent inspection of the Gold Fields Ghana mine in Tarkwa by the Apinto Divisional Council revealed that more than 4,000 hectares of Apinto lands have been degraded, robbing many young people and native communities of their sources of income, access to agricultural land, and the effective exercise of their surface rights.
Land degradation
He stated that the traditional authority believed that Gold Fields Ghana’s operations in Tarkwa had not been as beneficial to the Apinto communities over the decades as they ought to have been.
“We must assert that the degree of development assistance offered by Gold Fields Ghana does not correspond to the extent of the degradation of our land and the socio-economic issues facing our communities,” Nana Bediako stated.
Among other pressing concerns, he mentioned the lack of appropriate healthcare facilities, high unemployment among young people, inadequate school infrastructure, and deplorable roads.
“We want to inform the people of Ghana today that the Apinto Divisional Council has created an Apinto Shared Prosperity Proposal, which will be presented to the government of Ghana for its consideration and approval. Economic reports from Ghana
“Our suggestion is based on the ideas of history, justice, equality, and sustainable development. Prior to colonial dominance, the Wassa Fiase people were the first proprietors, regulators, and beneficiaries of gold mining,” Nana Bediako stated.
“The Apinto Divisional Council welcomes investment and backs ethical mining.”
Nevertheless, in our opinion, the next stage of mining in the Tarkwa-Apinto region should go beyond handouts in the shape of corporate social responsibility initiatives and royalties to establish a real partnership between the government, investors, and host populations.
Benefits, and Communities
Nana Bediako stated that the chiefs’ proposal aimed to alter the country’s lopsided mining story by advocating for a model in which mining was an investment that equally benefited the state, host communities, and investors.
According to him, the conventional area’s plea to the state asked for fairness, not charity.
“It offers a realistic paradigm that strikes a balance between investor confidence, national interests, and meaningful community involvement,” he remarked.