The Minerals Commission says it lawfully terminated the mining leases and prospecting licences held by Northern Ashanti Mines Limited after the company failed to pay more than US$8.3m in statutory fees over 15 years.
The company, formerly known as Owere Mines, acquired a mining lease covering 595 cadastral blocks in January 2010. Under Section 24 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), it was required to pay Annual Mineral Right (AMR) fees each year.
In a statement issued on 27 October 2026, the Commission said it had “noted with grave concern” what it described as an “ongoing media campaign” by Northern Ashanti Mines aimed at gaining public sympathy.
The Commission said it issued Notices to Remedy Breach on 14 April 2025 under Section 68(2) of Act 703 and Regulation 200(3) of the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176).
The notices covered unpaid AMR fees for the company’s mining leases between 2010 and 2025, as well as fees for its prospecting licences from 2019 to 2025.
According to the Commission, the outstanding amount was US$8,330,000 for the mining leases and US$49,928 for the prospecting licences.
It also said Northern Ashanti Mines had undertaken no meaningful mining activity for more than two years, in breach of Section 69(1).
Termination approved in April
On 7 April 2026, the Commission asked the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to approve a notice terminating the company’s mineral rights. The Minister granted approval on 24 April, and the Commission implemented the decision on 30 April 2026.
“The Minerals Commission wishes to categorically state that it acted lawfully and followed due process at every stage,” the statement said. “The law is the law. Mineral rights are not an inheritance.”
The Commission said the mineral rights had reverted to the State, without affecting the company’s existing liabilities. It added that it “shall pursue” Northern Ashanti Mines for all outstanding sums.
It criticised the company for taking legal action against the State while also appealing to “the court of public opinion”, describing that approach as “improper and contemptuous of the judicial process”.
The statement was released five days after an operation at the company’s Konongo concession on 22 October 2026. Minerals Commission officials, accompanied by military personnel, entered the site to enforce the termination of the rights.
Northern Ashanti Mines director Fredrick Okine told Citi Newsroom on Tuesday, 27 October, that the company had invested heavily in exploration.
“We have spent money, a lot of money to explore,” he said, citing nearly US$200m in investment and a workforce of about 400 people.
