Northern Ashanti Mines Limited has gone to the High Court in Accra to challenge the termination of its mining lease covering the Konongo area in the Ashanti Region, seeking to have the decision overturned.
The company has filed an application for judicial review against the Minerals Commission, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Attorney-General, arguing that the termination was unlawful and did not follow the procedures prescribed by law.
Court documents cited in the report identify a letter dated April 30, 2026, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, as the instrument communicating the termination.
The company contends that the decision breached the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176).
In an affidavit supporting the application, the company’s Administrative Manager, Jonathan Adongo, alleges that Northern Ashanti Mines was neither notified of the breaches cited in the termination letter nor given an opportunity to remedy them before the decision was taken.
The company argues that Section 68 of Act 703 sets out procedures for suspending or cancelling mineral rights and that the relevant authorities failed to comply with the applicable requirements, including the prescribed period for remedying breaches where applicable.
It is asking the court to issue an order of certiorari quashing the termination decision and to restrain the Minerals Commission and the minister from taking further steps based on the disputed letter, including reallocating the concession to another party.
The company is also seeking a declaration that its mining lease remains valid for the unexpired term and an order directing the relevant authorities to restore its rights and update official records accordingly.
The legal challenge comes amid reports of a security operation at the company’s premises on Thursday, October 22, during which military and police personnel were said to have taken control of the facility and instructed workers to leave.
However, the precise relationship between the reported operation and the disputed lease termination has not been independently established. The court documents reviewed do not confirm whether the personnel were acting on instructions from the respondents or under a separate legal authority.
According to the supporting affidavit, the government granted Northern Ashanti Mines a mining lease on February 20, 2023, covering approximately 125 square kilometres at Konongo.
The company, formerly known as Owere Mines, describes itself as a wholly Ghanaian-owned business established to redevelop the historic Konongo Gold Mine, which it says had been inactive for at least 15 years.
It further claims to have invested in equipment, infrastructure and processing facilities and employed approximately 220 people in preparation for mining operations. These figures have not been independently verified.
The company says its lawyers wrote to the authorities on May 4, 2026, seeking a review of the termination, followed by a petition to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on May 20. According to the affidavit, neither petition received a response.
The application seeks costs and any further relief the court considers appropriate.
The allegations remain unproven, and the documents reviewed do not establish that the High Court has granted the requested orders or ruled on the merits of the dispute. The government’s response to the company’s claims was not included in the material provided.
