Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has directed the Minerals Commission to take immediate administrative control of the Adamus Mine located in Salman, within the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
This major regulatory takeover follows the formal upholding of the government’s decision to revoke three key mining leases Akango, Salman, and Nkroful previously held by Adamus Resources Limited.
The state’s intervention ends months of legal uncertainty surrounding the mine’s operations, establishing statutory oversight to prevent total operational collapse while asserting sovereign control over the nation’s mineral wealth.
“So effectively, the interim management committee will be reporting directly to the Minerals Commission to 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.”
Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
The ministerial directive concludes a thorough administrative review process that was initiated after Adamus Resources Limited submitted an official petition challenging the initial lease cancellations.
Upon reviewing the final conclusions submitted by the Ministerial Review Committee, which corroborated widespread technical, safety, and legal infractions, the Minister confirmed that the statutory revocations remained fully justified in the public interest.
Consequently, state regulators have been empowered to step in directly, manage transition protocols, protect valuable equipment on site, and maintain continuous oversight over the entire concession footprint.
Safeguarding Worker Welfare and Stakeholder Engagement
Addressing the workforce during a high-level working visit to the Salman facility, the Minister stressed that the state’s intervention aims primarily to guarantee job security and stabilize the local economy.
Hon. Armah-Kofi Buah reassured miners that government officials are not seeking to collapse the asset, promising that “there is no other agenda than what I’ve told you” regarding protecting their future livelihoods.
To ensure a smooth transition and maintain transparent lines of communication, the sector minister instructed the Chief Inspector of Mines and senior officers from the Minerals Commission to establish an extended on-site presence.
Regulators have been tasked to “be here all week next week, to engage, engage workers, engage all of you, collectively bring ideas on how we can make this mine vibrant and long-lasting.”
This collaborative posture seeks to build community consensus across the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area while restoring trust between local authorities, industry workers, and regulatory agencies.
Investigative Findings and Regulatory Violations
The decision to sustain the revocation stems from systematic regulatory audits conducted by the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission. Investigations revealed that Adamus Resources Limited committed severe statutory breaches under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
Most notably, the firm unlawfully assigned portions of its mineral rights to third-party entities without obtaining prior written ministerial approval, directly contravening Section 14 of Act 703.
Furthermore, inspectors established that the company carried out active mining without approved technical plans or valid operating permits 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 company also failed to secure mandatory environmental permitting from the Environmental Protection Agency under Section 18 of Act 703, operating without adequate safeguards.
Restoring Environmental Integrity and Operational Revitalization
Beyond corporate governance failures, state inspectors documented severe illicit mining practices across the concession areas.
The investigation uncovered that foreign nationals specifically Chinese entities operating without valid work or residence permits were actively engaged in unauthorized extraction activities, commonly known as galamsey, several kilometers away from approved plant infrastructure.
These illicit operations operated without defined mineral reserves or dedicated access roads, breaching Section 99(5) of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
The resulting uncoordinated earthworks caused extensive land degradation, destroyed local ecosystems, and posed severe contamination risks to surrounding river bodies and public health.
By enforcing lease cancellation, the Ministry seeks to end environmental impunity, prosecute defaulting directors, and re-allocate the asset through transparent, lawful channels that will deliver lasting benefits to host communities and the broader national economy.
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