By Nadia Ntiamoah
Northern Ashanti Mines Limited has gone to the High Court seeking an injunction to prevent the government and security agencies from taking over its Konongo mining concession, escalating a legal battle over the termination of its mining lease and the future of an investment the company values at US$110 million.
The company has filed an application for an interlocutory injunction against the Minerals Commission, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Attorney-General, asking the court to restrain them and any security personnel acting on their behalf from interfering with its operations, property, employees and equipment at the Konongo mine in the Ashanti Region.
The application was filed on October 22, 2026, at the Commercial Division of the High Court. The company’s lawyers, VINT & ALETHEIA PRUC, led by Erasmus Papa Akotey Quartey, are expected to move the motion on October 29, 2026.
The legal action comes amid reports that military and police personnel entered the mining facility on October 22 and instructed workers to leave. The circumstances surrounding the reported operation, including whether it was carried out under a specific directive or court order, have not been independently established.
The dispute centres on a letter dated April 30, 2026, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, which the company says communicated the termination of its mining lease.
Northern Ashanti Mines is challenging that decision in a separate judicial review application filed at the High Court in Accra on October 21, 2026. It wants the court to declare the termination unlawful and quash it.
Company Wants Court to Block Security Takeover
In its application for an interlocutory injunction, Northern Ashanti Mines is asking the court to prevent personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies from entering, occupying or taking control of the mining concession while the substantive legal dispute remains unresolved.
The company also wants to stop the respondents from deploying or authorising security personnel to enforce the disputed termination of the lease.
Another key relief seeks to prevent the government and relevant authorities from granting, reallocating, transferring or otherwise dealing with mineral rights over the Konongo concession in favour of another party, whether Ghanaian or foreign.
The application further seeks to restrain the respondents from taking additional steps to implement the April 30 termination letter until the court determines the company’s judicial review application.
The proposed injunction is intended to preserve the company’s position while the court considers whether the decision to terminate its lease complied with the law.
Company Accuses Authorities of Breaching Mining Laws
In its substantive judicial review application, Northern Ashanti Mines argues that the decision to terminate its mining lease was taken without lawful authority and in violation of procedures prescribed under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176).
According to an affidavit supporting the application, Jonathan Adongo, identified as the company’s Administrative Manager, states that the company was not given formal notice of the alleged breaches cited as grounds for terminating the lease.
The company further contends that it was not afforded an opportunity to remedy the alleged breaches before the decision was taken.
Its legal argument relies on Section 68 of Act 703, which it says prescribes procedures for the suspension or cancellation of mineral rights. The applicant maintains that the authorities failed to comply with the applicable statutory requirements, including the opportunity to remedy a breach within the prescribed period where the provision applies.
The company argues that the termination was arbitrary, unreasonable and procedurally unfair, and that the Minerals Commission exceeded its lawful authority in communicating the decision.
These claims form part of the company’s case before the High Court and have not been established by a final judicial ruling. The respondents’ substantive answers to the allegations were not included in the materials provided.
Company Seeks Reinstatement of Mining Lease
Beyond the injunction, Northern Ashanti Mines wants the High Court to issue an order of certiorari quashing the decision communicated in the April 30 letter.
It is also seeking an order restraining the Minerals Commission and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources from taking further steps based on the disputed termination, including reallocating the concession to another party except in accordance with the law.
The company additionally wants the court to declare that its mining lease remains valid for the unexpired portion of its term and direct the relevant authorities to restore its rights under the lease and update official records accordingly.
It is also seeking costs and any other relief the court considers appropriate.
The outcome of the judicial review proceedings could determine whether the termination stands or whether the authorities must reconsider their decision in accordance with the applicable legal framework.
For now, the company is seeking to prevent any further action that could affect its possession of the concession before the court resolves the dispute.
A 13-Year Lease Covering 125 Square Kilometres
According to the supporting affidavit, the Government of Ghana granted Northern Ashanti Mines a mining lease on February 20, 2023, covering approximately 125 square kilometres in the Konongo area.
The company, formerly known as Owere Mines, describes itself as a wholly Ghanaian-owned limited liability company established to redevelop the historic Konongo Gold Mine, which it says had remained inactive for at least 15 years.
The company maintains that it invested in the concession and undertook development activities in preparation for mining operations.
Its affidavit cites expenditure on equipment, infrastructure and processing facilities, alongside the employment of approximately 220 people.
The company also places the value of its investment at US$110 million, arguing that the disputed termination and reported security operation threaten its interests in the mining project.
The investment figure, employment numbers and other operational claims are contained in the company’s account and have not been independently verified in the materials provided.
Nevertheless, the scale of the investment claimed by the applicant adds an economic dimension to the legal dispute, particularly regarding the protection of capital, employment and the future use of the Konongo concession.
Petitions to Government Allegedly Went Unanswered
The court documents indicate that the company, through its lawyers, wrote to the relevant authorities on May 4, 2026, requesting a review of the termination decision.
A further petition dated May 20, 2026, was reportedly submitted to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, seeking an administrative review and reversal of the decision.
According to the supporting affidavit, the company received no response to the petitions.
Northern Ashanti Mines argues that the alleged failure to provide an opportunity to address the breaches, coupled with the absence of a response to its requests for administrative review, reinforces its position that the termination was unlawful.
The court will have to consider the relevant statutory provisions, the circumstances surrounding the termination and the parties’ arguments before determining the merits of the dispute.
