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Mining in Tarkwa must yield Tangible benefit – Apinto Gyaasehene
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• 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
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
