Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has officially affirmed the government’s decision to uphold the revocation of the mining leases granted to Adamus Resources Limited across the Akanjo, Salman, and Nkroful concessions in the Western Region.
The landmark ruling follows a thorough evaluation by a specially constituted Ministerial Review Committee, which was assembled to re-evaluate the regulatory sanctions after receiving a petition from the mining firm contesting the initial administrative action.
Having concluded the exhaustive review procedures and verified that the mining firm committed flagrant violations of statutory standards, the sector Minister confirmed that all administrative channels have reached their final conclusion, rendering the lease revocation fully binding and irreversible.
“This morning I’m here to tell you that I’ve done all the processes, I’ve come to the end of the road, I’ve upheld the revocation. So effectively, the interim management committee will be reporting directly to the Minerals Commission until further notice. Now, we want to make sure that the Minerals Commission will take immediate steps to ensure the protection and the guarantees of job of everybody that works here, and that there’s continuity of pay for employees, and that we ensure the safety of these plants.”
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
The Ministry has mandated that an Interim Management Committee take immediate charge of the mining site and report directly to the Minerals Commission to ensure an orderly operational transition. This regulatory takeover strips the previous operators of administrative authority over the concession, placing the entire facility under state oversight.
To maintain stability during this transitional phase, the Minerals Commission has been instructed to institute immediate measures to safeguard existing infrastructure, secure the plant against unauthorized access, and preserve the long-term economic viability of the asset.
Crucially, the government highlighted that the primary focus remains protecting local employment, guaranteeing continuous pay for workers, and protecting the broader economic interests of host communities.
Underlying Regulatory Breaches and Illegal Foreign Mining
The necessity for this drastic state intervention stems from widespread, systemic infractions of Ghana’s extractive regulations established during field investigations by the Minerals Commission.
Chief among these breaches was the company’s unlawful subcontracting of mining operations to third-party entities without obtaining the statutory ministerial consent mandated under Section 14 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
Furthermore, Adamus Resources Limited carried out large-scale extractions without valid operating permits or approved mining plans from the Chief Inspector of Mines, violating Regulation 8(1) of the Minerals and Mining (Health, Safety, and Technical) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2182).
The firm also operated without the mandatory environmental clearances from the Environmental Protection Authority required under Section 18 of Act 703.
Compounding these structural violations was the illegal authorization of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese operators, to engage directly in active mining operations on the concessions.
This illegal involvement violated Section 99(5) of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995), which strictly regulates foreign participation in local extractive operations. Inspections revealed substandard operational practices conducted far beyond designated infrastructure and outside approved concession boundaries.
These unapproved extractions caused extensive environmental degradation, including severe land disturbance, destruction of local forest cover, and significant threats to nearby water bodies and host community livelihoods.
Given the gravity and deliberate nature of these infractions, the government determined that revoking the leases under Section 100(2) of Act 703 was essential to uphold regulatory integrity.
Protecting National Interest and Future Mine Prospects
In addressing the workforce, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah reiterated that the government’s underlying objective is not to collapse the mine, but rather to restructure its governance to reflect the statutory standards of the Republic of Ghana. “You know this mine more than me, there’s clear potential in this mine, and we have to work together to make sure that the future that this mine holds is upheld,” the Minister remarked during his visit to the Salman site.
He emphasized that state agencies are committed to maintaining seamless salary disbursements and worker safety protections, ensuring that everyday laborers do not suffer financial hardship as a result of corporate non-compliance. “Our interest is only one, the interest of the Republic of Ghana and the workers of this mine, and that’s all it is,” the Minister stated, driving home the state’s sole focus on public accountability and worker welfare.
Moving forward, the administrative management by the Minerals Commission aims to revitalize the gold concession while strictly enforcing national extractive policies.
By clamping down on unauthorized subcontracting and illegal foreign engagement, the Ministry sends a clear signal to all mineral rights holders across the country that adherence to environmental, technical, and legal frameworks remains non-negotiable.
As the Interim Management Committee assumes control, industry observers expect the state to re-evaluate the concession’s long-term operational framework, balancing sustainable resource extraction with community development and local content participation.
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