The Konongo Traditional Council has welcomed the Minerals Commission’s decision but wants the process handled openly and a new investor with strict environmental safeguards brought in

Published 30 Oct 2026, 14:00 GMT

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Chief of Konongo, Nana Awuah Abedimisa II

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The Konongo Traditional Authority has commended the government for revoking the operating licence of Northern Ashanti Mines, while insisting that the process be handled transparently.

The Chief of Konongo, Nana Awuah Abedimisa II, described the Minerals Commission’s decision as appropriate in an interview on a local radio station, monitored by Akoma News.

“We support the decision by the Minerals Commission to revoke the licence of Northern Ashanti Mines. We only want to see transparency in handling the matter. Illegal mining is a serious problem in our area,” he said.

The government revoked the licence on October 22, following a joint operation by police and military personnel at the company’s site.

The move followed allegations that the company had repeatedly breached operational regulations. The most serious allegation was that it allowed illegal miners to work on parts of its concession.

During the operation, mine staff were ordered to vacate the site with immediate effect. The mine has since fallen silent, with no mining activity taking place and military personnel still stationed there.

The Minerals Commission stressed that the termination of the mineral rights of Northern Ashanti Mines Limited (NAML), formerly Owere Mines, was within the confines of the law.

The commission maintains that it followed due process at every stage of the process leading to the termination of mineral rights, explaining that the company was given several opportunities to regularise its position “and it chose not to.”

At a media briefing held in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Isaac Andrews Tandoh, stated that NAML failed to fulfil statutory obligations and responsibilities as required by every mining lease.

“A mineral right is not a gift, and it is not an inheritance! It is a privilege conferred by the State on terms, and those terms must be honoured! No company, whether indigenous or foreign, may hold the resources of the Republic, withhold what is owed to the people of Ghana, and then turn around to cry foul when the law takes its course,” he stressed

Nana Awuah Abedimisa II urged the government to find a replacement investor for the concession.

“We need a new firm to operate here with strict environmental protection protocols,” he said.

The Meenahene of Juansa, Nana Tweneboah Kodua Bempah, also backed the Commission’s decision. He said the company never treated the traditional authorities as custodians of the land.

“The mine never saw us as custodians of the land. Their operation was discreet,” he said.

Northern Ashanti Mines had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.

Konongo Chiefs Support Government Revoking Northern Ashanti Mines Licence; They Want Transparent Process

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