Kwao Adarkwa Bediako III - Gyaasehene of Apinto in the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area
Apinto Divisional Council of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area in the Western Region of Ghana has been tipped for paramountcy for their active role in development and chieftaincy affairs.
The Apinto Stool, which has Awodua as its Traditional seat, was the first place where gold was discovered in Ghana, and has since been the major destination for many mining companies including Tarkwa Goldfields Company, Liberty Gold Mining Company, Anglogold Ashanti (Iduaprime Mines) among others.
The Apinto stool shares boundaries with the Esuoso Stool on the South, Bosomtwi stool on the east, Tarkwa Breman Stool on the North and the Ankobra River on the West. It is also the biggest divisional council with largest landscape within the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area.
In spite of its rich culture coupled with the abundance of natural resources, Apinto, which has a crocodile with gold in its mouth as its emblem is yet to attain the status of paramountcy even though it has met all the requirements for that status.
The Apinto Divisional Council has about 60 big communities and notable among them are Tarkwa, Huni Ano, Bonsra, Gordon, Asama Kakraba, Bokrekrom, Beina Akyem, Yareyeya New Atuabo among others.
The great River Ankobra could also be located in in the area.
Our investigation reveals that there are 10 black stools under the Apinto Traditional Council, making it the biggest in the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council as disclosed earlier.
In order for a divisional council to attain the status of a paramountcy, it needs to meet some criteria including the size of the land, the number of stools it controls, a top-notch or befitting palace, the number of communities, the rate of development among others.
Apinto Divisional Council is in the position to meet all the above requirements. The most interesting thing is that, the office of the Traditional Council could also be located Tarkwa, one of the most popular towns in the Apinto Division.
Additionally, the trump card of Apinto is its ability to bring development to the doorstep of the people with little government intervention.
The only source of funding for their development projects is the royalties they get from some of the big mining companies operating in the area as well other companies who are into different businesses such as construction, rubber plantation and cocoa farming.
Therefore one cannot mention cocoa growing areas in the country without mentioning Tarkwa and its surrounding communities.
Social Interventions by Apinto Stool
The divisional council has embarked on consistent social intervention programmes for the past 30 years with funding from royalties. The community singlehandedly extended electricity to many homes my providing electricity poles.
It also has in place a scholarship scheme, which has supported school children from poor homes right from the basic level to the tertiary. The scheme, which mainly gets its funding from royalties collected from the mining companies, has supported thousands of people over the years.
It has put up teacher’s quarters for several schools and also rehabilitated several school buildings. Currently, plans are far advanced to construct a first class road from Awodua to Huni Nso on the old railway line.
The community is also putting up nurses' quarters for some hospitals. The initiative is being sponsored by the Nkosuohene (Development Chief) , Nana Kweku Gyedu known in private life as Mr Samuel Amoh Tobbin, the Group Chairman of Tobinco Group of companies. Nana Gyedu is also supporting the construction of a community center as well as an ICT center.
This Newspaper discovered that there are other developmental projects being carried under the auspices of the newly installed Gyaasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council, Nana Kwao Bediako III known in private as Dr Peter Ebo Tobbin, who also doubles as the administrative secretary.
Apinto has a rich history on how it came by its name and this will be told in subsequent publications.
