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Mining in Tarkwa must yield Tangible benefit – Apinto Gyaasehene
• Nana (Dr) Bediako
Gyaasehene of Apinto,Wassa Fiase, in the Western Region, Nana (Dr) Adarkwa Bediako, has stirred a debate as to whether Ghana should continue to mine its mineral resources, arguing that “mining must develop our communities.”
He noted that Tarkwa, a mining enclave in Ghana gifted with various minerals, had contributed to the growth and development of the country but could not boast of good development dividends.
Nana (Dr) Adarkwa stressed “We should seek the benefits of Tarkwa, we seek how we use what we get from Tarkwa to develop Tarkwa.”
He made this observation last Thursday when he chaired a ceremony of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) to pay GH¢ 779, 583. 50 as tuition fees for 325 students in four universities in Ghana for 2022/23 academic year.
The gesture is part of GFGF’s scholarship for students from host communities who attend University of Ghana (UG), Legon, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), University of Cape Coast(UCC) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Nana (Dr) Bediako lamented “Our world has been bleeding for very long. There are no tangible benefits that we can see. As we speak now, five per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of this country is coming from Tarkwa and its environs.
“There’s no government wide scholarship for people in mining communities. There is no government -wide arrangements for the development of roads in mining communities. There is no government efforts to develop our communities that contribute five per cent of GDP every year, it’s a shame.”
He again argued “if there were countrywide cocoa scholarships, same could be done for mining communities so that we don’t put all burden on the mining companies.”
He told leadership to understand that “we could not continue to provide land and resources of Tarkwa for the development of the country without developing our own communities.”
Gyaasehene pointed out that although he did not agree with advocates on stopping of mining in their areas, he could see the logic in their arguments because they (chiefs) used Tarkwa-Obuasi narratives as a benchmark that mining had not benefitted mining areas.
“We need the gold to develop our country,” Nana Dr Bediako added.
He applauded GFGF and other mining companies for the ‘huge efforts’ they had made in promoting development in mining communities particularly the Tarkwa enclave and wondered whether without their benefits the education and health sectors in the area would have ‘survived’.
This, he said, must be ad dressed because “It is not about mining companies, it’s about the country.”
He continued “ Many of our communities do not have schools, and health centres, all these are being provided by the companies. What is the government doing?
“Now, we have traditional leaders saying we don’t want mining in our area, I say forget, years ago when mechanised mining started in Ghana, Tarkwa has been feeding Ghana all these years.”
Reiterating that Tarkwa had all these years been developing Ghana, Gyaasehene noted that, majority of students who received the GFGF scholarships, were not indigenes of Tarkwa or Apinto.
He stated “The narrative has to change. We need to change this narrative. We need the country to wake up and understand —Johannesburg is different because of mining, Dubai used oil –Dubai is one of the most economic centres. Why? The minerals were used to develop Dubai.”
From Clement Adzei Boye, Tarkwa
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
