… Resolving the Absence of Statutory Approvals Through Josef Iroko (PW4), an expert witness from the Minerals Commission, the Prosecution proved that Akonta Mining (A3) never submitted an application to assign or transfer its mineral rights. …
… He said the then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, wrote to Akonta Mining after advice from the Minerals Commission, drawing attention to alleged illegal activities and requesting that the company desist. …
… Responding to questions in Parliament, the Minister insisted that excavators and other mining equipment cannot legally be used for mining operations unless operators have registered with the Minerals Commission and complied with all statutory requirements governing the sector. …
… The organisation also called on the Attorney-General’s Department and the Minerals Commission to pursue all pending illegal mining prosecutions with the same level of diligence, insisting that enforcement of the law must remain impartial and consistent.
… The organisation also called on the Attorney-General’s Department and the Minerals Commission to pursue all pending illegal mining prosecutions with the same level of diligence, insisting that enforcement of the law must remain impartial and consistent.
… He disclosed that he had personally confirmed with the Minerals Commission that no licence had been issued for mining in wetlands in the area, describing such operations as “a walking illegality.” He further questioned why district chief executives, municipal chief executives, po …
… He said the then Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, subsequently confirmed the findings, but lamented that the Attorney-General and police prosecutors at the time did not proceed with criminal prosecution. …
… According to him, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, subsequently confirmed the allegations, although he expressed disappointment that the authorities at the time failed to prosecute the case. …
… A Senior Manager for Legal Affairs at the Minerals Commission, Joseph Iroko, also testified that records at the Commission did not show any application or ministerial approval authorising the assignment or transfer of the concession. …
… Also addressing the gathering, the Western Regional Head of the Minerals Commission, Francis Annobil, clarified the status of community mining licences operating within the concession. …
Chiefs and residents of Nkaseim in Asutifi South District have warned a road contractor to stay away from their community cooperative mining concession, alleging that some influential individuals and local leaders are attempting to dispose of portions to private interests. The community has appealed to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to investigate and ensure the concession remains under community control.
Chiefs and residents of Nkaseim in Asutifi South District have warned a road contractor to stay away from their community cooperative mining concession, alleging that some influential individuals and local leaders are attempting to dispose of portions to private interests. The community has appealed to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to investigate and ensure the concession remains under community control.
Africa Policy Lens has filed a Right to Information request with the Minerals Commission seeking full disclosure on the tender process and award of the Damang Gold Mine to Engineers & Planners, including details of the application, evaluation reports, bidding timelines, tender committee composition, and production data.
Hundreds of residents from communities in Bekwai Municipality have staged a peaceful demonstration against Day Shine Quarry Company, alleging environmental degradation, property destruction through blasting, and health risks from dust. The Assembly Member for Adankragya warned the company to suspend operations and engage affected communities within one week or face further protests.
Illegal miners have returned to 100 hectares of land around Obuasi Airstrip that AngloGold Ashanti released to the community in 2018 for agricultural projects. The Obuasi West MCE called for the area to be designated for regulated community mining to integrate miners into a legal framework, while the Ashanti Regional Reclamation Committee recovered three repaired excavators being used for illegal mining near the airport.
The chief and people of Salma in Ellembelle District have distanced themselves from claims of community endorsement of Adamus Resources Limited, reaffirming their opposition to the company's operations and citing environmental degradation, broken promises, and disrespect for community engagement.
An opinion article argues that arrest and enforcement alone cannot solve Ghana's galamsey crisis, and that the country needs a framework combining strong enforcement with structured economic inclusion and legal alternatives to illegal mining.
The Apinto Divisional Council, traditional custodians of land where GoldFields Ghana operates in Tarkwa, has formally called on the government not to renew the company's mining lease, expiring in April 2027, arguing decades of mining have yielded little meaningful development for host communities. The council is instead advocating for a government-owned mining operation under a "shared prosperity" model.
The Apinto Divisional Council of Tarkwa has called on the government not to renew Gold Fields Ghana Limited's mining lease when it expires in April 2027, urging instead that the concession be transferred to a Ghanaian-owned company. The traditional leaders argue that such a move would maximise Ghana's mineral benefits and address inadequate development in host communities despite decades of large-scale mining activities.
The Apinto Divisional Council is calling on government to make host communities equity partners in Gold Fields Ghana Limited's Tarkwa Mine during its ongoing lease renewal process. The chiefs argue that communities hosting mining operations for decades should have a direct stake in wealth generated from mineral resources extracted from their lands, and have developed an "Apinto Shared Prosperity Proposal" as a framework for ensuring traditional authorities and local communities participate in ownership, governance and benefits of mining operations.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Mustapha Gbande credited the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the National Strategic Coordinator with efforts that have reduced destruction to water bodies and forest reserves from illegal mining. He argued that some forms of small-scale mining, particularly alluvial mining, should be properly regulated rather than completely stopped in communities where mining remains the main livelihood source.
A High Court judgment in The Republic v. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Kwame Antwi, and Akonta Mining Company Limited addresses regulatory and criminal frameworks governing mineral exploitation, with implications for corporate governance, statutory compliance, and the fight against galamsey.
Former Tamale Central MP Inusah Fuseini says the 20-year prison sentence handed to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako over illegal mining offences signals an end to political protection for those engaged in galamsey and demonstrates that individuals can no longer rely on political connections to avoid accountability.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister told Parliament that his ministry has not received formal reports of MMDAs charging fees for or authorizing excavators and other mining equipment for illegal mining activities, despite a JoyNews investigation alleging such permits were being issued in mining districts.
Lands and Mines Watch Ghana welcomed the Accra High Court's conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) and Akonta Mining Company Limited for unlawful mining activities, and urged stronger action against illegal mining. The group said the judgment reinforces that Ghana's mining laws apply equally to all persons and companies regardless of political status.
Civil society group Lands and Mines Watch Ghana welcomed the conviction and sentencing of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and Akonta Mining Company Limited by the Accra High Court, calling it a landmark moment that reinforces the equal application of Ghana's mining laws regardless of political status.
The Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining has commended investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor's reporting on illegal mining and called on the government to expand investigations into all individuals and networks implicated in galamsey, rather than treating the conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) as an isolated case.
Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, said he would have preferred the Accra High Court to impose the maximum 25-year custodial sentence on NPP Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), who received 20 years' imprisonment for illegal mining. Ashigbey argued that those who finance and facilitate illegal mining deserve the harshest punishment available under law.
Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, Convener of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, has called the conviction and 20-year sentencing of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) over illegal mining on the Samreboi concession a landmark moment, urging it to trigger a broader crackdown on politically exposed persons involved in galamsey.
The Accra High Court has convicted NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako on all six charges of illegal mining on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region, including unlawful assignment of mineral rights and facilitating unlicensed mining operations contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006.
The Office of the Attorney General has directed galamsey operators to immediately vacate the Aboso-Bompieso concession of Global Ore Ghana Industries Limited or face prosecution. State Attorney Kingsley Nana Agyekum said the company's 17-year large-scale mining lease is valid and lawfully acquired, and only Parliament can revoke it before expiry.
Security agencies arrested 465 suspects and seized 112 pump-action guns, excavators and other mining equipment during a six-month nationwide crackdown on illegal mining between January and June 2026, as authorities work to protect Ghana's forests, rivers and mineral resources.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister announced the recruitment, training and deployment of 452 additional Blue Water Guards to strengthen water body protection against illegal mining, bringing total personnel across eight regions to 2,069. The government has also registered 4,347 mining equipment units at Tema Port and installed 1,864 tracking devices as part of efforts to strengthen oversight of small-scale mining.
Vice Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee Davis Ansah Opoku has commended the Environmental Protection Agency and Minerals Commission for progress in implementing audit recommendations on regulating small-scale mining, with the two institutions fully implementing 25 of 29 recommendations and partially implementing two others.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has advocated for mandatory reclamation bonds for mining licence holders and additional engineers in mining districts to strengthen environmental protection and regulation. He reported that 29 of the Auditor-General's recommendations have been fully implemented and 25 others addressed, while the government is deploying more EPA officers and establishing community mining committees.
The Vice Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to provide Parliament with a comprehensive register of all mining leases granted to both local and foreign companies to enhance transparency and accountability in the extractive sector.
Ghana, Africa's largest gold producer and the world's sixth-largest, accounts for nearly 40% of total exports but faces deep mismanagement and corruption. Successive governments have failed to establish transparent mechanisms for tracking mining companies' investments, production, taxes, and royalties, enabling systematic underreporting and loss of revenue.
The Minerals Commission and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat conducted an operation at a site in Ada's Tsopoli community where suspected operators fled before the team arrived. Preliminary checks showed the site was operating without the required licence and officials found no evidence the operators had obtained authorisation to undertake sand-winning activities.
The Ghana Chamber of Mines says uncertainty over lease renewals, not high tax rates, is the greatest threat to Ghana's competitiveness as Africa's leading mining investment destination. The Chamber urged government to guarantee security of tenure for mining leases to attract long-term investment, noting that investors prioritize certainty over lease renewals more than tax levels given mining's capital-intensive nature.
Ghana's Black Volta Gold Project, one of West Africa's most promising undeveloped gold deposits, has become the centre of a cross-continental legal fight involving an international arbitration tribunal in London, the High Court of England and Wales, and the Ghanaian government, centring on a $100 million transaction and disputes over control of Ghanaian operating companies Azumah Resources Ghana Ltd, Upwest Resources Ltd, and Phoenix Resources Ltd.
The Minerals Commission CEO reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening mineral resource governance through evidence-based policymaking, transparency and strategic partnerships at the inauguration of the Institute for Mineral Resources Investment and Governance (IMRIG) at UMaT. He highlighted ongoing reforms including review of the Minerals and Mining Act and introduction of progressive royalties pricing regulation aimed at improving transparency and strengthening local content.