Northern Ashanti Mines Limited has turned to the High Court in Accra in a bid to prevent the government from taking over its mining concession at Konongo in the Ashanti Region, citing concerns over the future of an investment estimated at between US$110 million and US$120 million.
The company has filed an application for an interlocutory injunction against the Minerals Commission, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Attorney-General, seeking to restrain the authorities from taking possession of the mine or transferring its mineral rights to another entity while the legal dispute is pending.
The application follows a security operation on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during which military personnel, police officers and members of the National Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (NAIMOS) reportedly entered the facility and directed workers to vacate the premises.
Northern Ashanti Mines contends that the government’s actions threaten an investment it says it has made in rehabilitating and reviving the mine over the past two years.
At the centre of the dispute is the termination of the company’s mining lease, which was communicated in a letter dated April 30, 2026. The company is challenging the decision, arguing that the authorities failed to follow the procedures stipulated under the Minerals and Mining Act.
Its legal team maintains that the applicable provisions require a leaseholder to be given a 120-day period to rectify identified operational deficiencies before the lease can be terminated.
The company argues that it was not afforded this opportunity.
The company has also raised concerns about the possibility that the concession has been allocated to another investor before the dispute is resolved.
Its General Manager, Kenneth Allen, reportedly said officials of the Minerals Commission who visited the site indicated that the lease had already been re-granted to another consortium.
The company is seeking to prevent any further action that could compromise its interests in the concession while the court examines the legality of the lease termination.
Director Fred Okine has meanwhile defended the company’s record, stating that it has no adverse records with the relevant regulatory authorities.
He also said the company had repeatedly sought assistance from the Ministry of Defence and the Minerals Commission to remove illegal miners, commonly known as galamsey operators, who had encroached on its concession.
According to the company, its appeals for intervention were unsuccessful, despite the alleged encroachment on the mining area.
The legal challenge therefore centres not only on the termination of the lease but also on whether the required procedures were followed and whether the company was given a fair opportunity to address the concerns raised against it.
Northern Ashanti Mines is asking the court to restrain the authorities from taking possession of the facility and from granting, transferring or reallocating the mineral rights to third parties while its challenge proceeds.
The company has also initiated a judicial review process seeking to have the lease termination set aside.
