The Chief Executive Officer of Mobik Energy, Joseph Cobbinah, popularly known as Kabie, has issued a dual warning to the people of Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western region about the alarming degradation of local river bodies and the growing addiction of the youth to sports betting.
Speaking passionately about the region’s environmental decline, Cobbinah painted a nostalgic yet grim picture of Tarkwa’s disappearing rivers.
“Growing up, we used to swim and play in these rivers in Tarkwa,” he recalled. “But you barely see these rivers anymore. When there is water scarcity, we used to go to these rivers for water. Now, they are disappearing.”
He pointed to specific examples: “There was a stream around UMaT (University of Mines and Technology) where we used to play. These days, when one passes there, the stream is no more. One river, Kawir, which was wide, is gradually turning into a stream.”
Cobbinah lamented the loss of vital community resources once used by mothers for cooking and washing, especially during weekend water shortages.
Human Encroachment and Climate Change: A Toxic Combination
Cobbinah described the crisis as a result of both human encroachment and climate change. “One can’t really tell why it is so, but I think it’s nature, and once humans are encroaching more, we are losing them. Climate change has really affected Tarkwa,” he explained.
He also criticised the reckless human activities directly impacting local rivers: “These days, people are not scared to work in river bodies, causing the rivers not to flow in their natural state.”
Cobbinah highlighted the ecological importance of preserving these waterways: “Rivers and streams are very essential in our lives because when the weather is extremely hot, it’s the rivers and streams that absorb the heat. When these rivers and streams are extinct, most people can’t stand the heat.”
He called on authorities to act swiftly: “I hope the authorities will work on those who are encroaching and building near rivers and streams.”
The Sports Betting Epidemic: A Social Time Bomb
Turning to a growing social crisis, Cobbinah decried the over-reliance of Tarkwa’s youth on sports betting. “The youth these days don’t like to work and want an easy way out in life,” he said. “Betting has become their life and work, which will not end well for them. It has now become a norm in the country… some hardly go out and stay indoors just to check on betting on their phones.”
He delivered a blunt warning about the false security that betting provides: “Betting can sustain you in terms of feeding and other minor things, but it can’t sustain you in the future. Life is not about sitting in one place and playing Draft or betting on your phone. There is no magic that says you can do betting and be a better person in life.”
Hard Work: The Only Sustainable Path
Cobbinah grounded his advice in his own life journey. Raised by a plantain trader mother and a security guard father, he could not continue to secondary school due to financial constraints.
“I cried since all my friends were going to school and I was home,” he recalled. But rather than despair, he chose hard work: “I then decided to do something for myself.”
Starting in small-scale mining, he eventually moved into gold buying and selling, and later ventured into the energy sector. Today, Mobik Energy operates fuel and gas stations, a testament to his determination and entrepreneurial spirit.
“You can only work hard when you are a youth, to start your life. If you wait till 50, it will be too late for you,” Cobbinah warned. “After 40-50 years, one wouldn’t have that zeal and strength. There are some jobs that you’ll be shy to do when you’re 40.”
He stressed the future responsibilities that betting cannot fulfil: “At a point in your life, you’ll marry and give birth, and you have to take care of them. Betting can’t take care of your family.”
Cobbinah concluded with a sobering life lesson: “No one is handed money or gold in the womb to start life, nor does God rain money on humans like the biblical manna. If you don’t go out and get something done for yourself, in the future when you’re old, you’ll realise that you have made a huge mistake which has amounted to nothing productive in your life.”
A Call to Action
Cobbinah’s message is a wake-up call to Tarkwa Nsuaem’s youth and authorities alike to protect the environment, abandon get-rich-quick schemes, and embrace hard work for a sustainable and prosperous future.