Workers at Northern Ashanti Mines Limited have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the dispute that shut down the Konongo mine and to facilitate talks to resolve it.

They want the President to bring together the company’s management, the Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to find a way for operations to resume while regulatory concerns are addressed.

The mine was shut down on October 22, 2026, after an operation by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Minerals Commission.

Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Community Relations Officer Alfred Oduro said the workers were not asking the government to ignore the regulatory issues but wanted a resolution that would protect their jobs.

“We are not saying all regulatory issues that have been raised by the Minerals Commission should be sidelined or moved out, but we are saying we know there is going to be a legal way in which an amicable solution can be,” he said.

Oduro said the workers wanted the President to facilitate discussions among the relevant bodies and management to agree on a way forward.

“Our petition aims at the President allowing the various actors, which are the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission and management of Northern Ashanti Mines, to come to a conclusion on the mine being relocated, as necessary regulatory issues that have been raised by the Minerals Commission also continue to be addressed,” he said.

He said a prolonged shutdown could threaten workers’ livelihoods and the economic wellbeing of their dependants.

Oduro added that management had been updating staff on the legal issues and urging them to remain patient while efforts to restart the mine continued.

“We have been receiving updates from management in terms of the court issues that they are raising and a whole lot of other stuff that, at the end of the day, points to us being patient or keeping our fingers crossed while they still work on stuff to get the mine back on its feet,” he said.

Reasons for lease revocation

Chiefs in the Asante Akyem enclave of the Ashanti Region backed the government’s decision to revoke the mining lease of Northern Ashanti Mines.

The traditional authorities, including Mennamhene Nana Tweneboah Kodua Bempah and Konongo Chief Nana Dr Awuah Abedimisa II, endorsed the decision of the Minerals Commission to terminate the lease, citing the company’s outstanding mineral right fees and its failure to undertake meaningful mining operations.

Mining companies, the chiefs maintained, must be held accountable for failing to meet their statutory obligations and demonstrate the capacity to operate their concessions effectively.

The chiefs’ reaction followed the revocation by the Minerals Commission over breaches of statutory and contractual obligations.

In a statement dated October 27, 2026, the Commission said termination was carried out in accordance with the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176).

According to the Commission, Northern Ashanti Mines, formerly Owere Mines, acquired a mining lease covering 595 cadastral blocks in January 2010 but failed to pay Annual Mineral Right (AMR) fees.

Notices to Remedy Breach were issued as far back as May 28, 2020, when the debt was over US$4 million.

By December 29, 2022, the debt had risen to US$6.18 million, and by April 14, 2025, the outstanding amounts were US$8.33 million for mining leases (2010-2025) and US$49,928 for prospecting licences (2019-2025).

The company also failed to undertake meaningful mining operations for more than two years, contrary to Section 69(1) of Act 703.On April 7, 2026, the Commission notified the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, requesting termination.

As a result of the aforementioned breaches, the Minister approved the request on April 24, 2026, and the Commission terminated the lease on April 30, 2026.