Special Aide to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Kofi Tonto, has criticized TV3 and its morning show, New Day, for allegedly avoiding discussions about the recent Obuasi killings, which have sparked national concern.
Tonto made these remarks while speaking on the morning show earlier today.
During his appearance, he expressed disappointment in TV3’s editorial decision not to prioritize the issue, stating, “I respect editorial discretion, but as a Ghanaian, I have the right to say it is absolutely not right.
People have lost their lives. For this platform to ignore such a significant issue is unacceptable.”
The incident occurred late on Saturday, January 18, 2025, around 11:00 PM, when a group of approximately 60 illegal miners breached the security fence and attempted to access the Deep Decline area of the mine.
The miners were reportedly armed with locally manufactured rifles, pump-action guns, knives, axes, gas cylinders, and other tools, and opened fire on the military personnel when confronted.
In self-defence, the soldiers returned fire, resulting in the fatalities with other illegal miners seriously injured. The remaining individuals fled the scene.
Tonto emphasized the critical role of AngloGold Ashanti in the nation’s economic stability, warning that such incidents could deter investors and negatively impact the cedi.
“An act like this affects more than lives it affects investor confidence, the economy, and even our currency. AngloGold is a major export earner, and disruptions like this undermine national progress,” he added.
Tonto also revealed that a journalist associated with TV3 allegedly encouraged youth in Obuasi to enter the mines, a claim he believes contributed to the chaos.
“A member of your media company is on record to have told the young people in Obuasi to go into the mines. This must be addressed,” he said.
“TV3 has been vocal about illegal mining over the past few months. Why then avoid such a critical topic when lives have been lost in Obuasi?”
This morning on TV3, Kofi Tonto made a shocking revelation, exposing Media General and TV3’s New Day program for allegedly imposing a blackout on discussions surrounding the Obuasi killing incident.
The supposed goal of this blackout was to divert the attention of Ghanaians pic.twitter.com/tLQNtFZcXo
— NPP Projects Bureau (@BureauNpp) January 20, 2025
