The Apinto Divisional Council has criticised the development impact of Gold Fields Ghana Limited in its traditional area, arguing that decades of mining activities have left host communities with degraded lands, lost livelihoods and inadequate infrastructure.
Addressing a press conference in Tarkwa on Friday, July 24, the Council said although multinational mining companies have generated substantial wealth from the area, the benefits to host communities have fallen far short of expectations.
According to the Council, a recent inspection of Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s operations revealed that more than 4,000 hectares of Apinto lands have been degraded, affecting farming activities, livelihoods and the exercise of surface rights by indigenous residents.
The Council maintained that the company’s investments in community development do not reflect the scale of the environmental and socio-economic impact of its operations.
“The level of development provided by Gold Fields Ghana Limited does not commensurate with the extent of the degradation of our lands and the socio-economic challenges confronting our communities. These include poor roads, inadequate school infrastructure, insufficient healthcare facilities, unemployment among the youth, and many other pressing concerns,” the Council stated.
Despite its criticism, the Apinto Divisional Council expressed support for calls to establish a Ghanaian-owned mining operation in Tarkwa, describing it as a historic opportunity to ensure the country’s mineral wealth delivers greater benefits to both the nation and host communities.
The Council argued that any transition from foreign-owned mining companies to a Ghanaian-owned enterprise should make traditional authorities and local communities genuine stakeholders in the ownership, governance and benefits of the mine.
“The transition from a foreign-owned mine to a Ghanaian-owned mining enterprise will not only advance Ghana’s national economic interests but will also ensure that the traditional authorities and host communities of Apinto—whose ancestral lands have sustained mining for generations—become genuine partners in the ownership, governance and benefits of the mine,” the statement said.
To support this vision, the Council announced that it has developed an Apinto Shared Prosperity Proposal, which will be submitted to the Government of Ghana for consideration.
“Our proposal to the Government of Ghana seeks not charity, but fairness. It presents a practical model that balances national interests, investor confidence, and meaningful community participation,” the Council noted.
It has therefore appealed to the Government, Parliament, the Minerals Commission and other stakeholders to give serious consideration to the proposal, expressing confidence that a Ghanaian-owned mine could usher in a new era of inclusive and responsible mining in Ghana.
The Council’s latest position has come as a surprise to some observers, given the traditional area’s longstanding cordial relationship with Gold Fields Ghana Limited and its previous recognition of the company’s contributions through infrastructure projects, livelihood empowerment programmes and other community interventions.
Responding to questions about the apparent shift in stance, the Gyaasehene of Apinto, Nana Adarkwa Bediako III, said the Council’s position was informed by what it now considers a significant imbalance between the wealth generated from the community’s mineral resources and the benefits received by the people.
“Our current position is based on the realisation that while the company is making millions of dollars from our lands, our communities continue to face serious developmental challenges,” he said.
Addressing suggestions that the Council’s demands should be directed primarily at the government, Nana Adarkwa Bediako III acknowledged that the State bears the ultimate responsibility for national development but stressed that the traditional authorities would continue to push government to ensure host communities receive a fair share of the benefits derived from mining.
