Northern Ashanti Mines Limited has filed an application for judicial review at the High Court in Accra, challenging the termination of its mining lease covering the Konongo area in the Ashanti Region. The application, directed at the Minerals Commission, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Attorney-General, seeks to have the decision to terminate the company’s lease declared unlawful and quashed.
The court documents, sighted by Citi Newsroom, identify a letter dated April 30, 2026, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, as the instrument communicating the termination.
The company argues that the decision was taken without lawful authority and in breach of mandatory procedures under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176).
The application comes amid reports of a security operation at the company’s premises on Thursday, October 22, during which military and police personnel were said to have taken control of the facility and instructed workers to leave.
The precise relationship between the reported security operation and the termination of the mining lease has not been independently established.
Company alleges failure to follow statutory procedures
In an affidavit supporting the application, Jonathan Adongo, identified as the company’s Administrative Manager, states that Northern Ashanti Mines was not given notice of the alleged breaches cited in the termination letter or an opportunity to remedy them before the decision was taken.
The company argues that Section 68 of Act 703 prescribes the procedure for suspending or cancelling a mineral right and that the authorities failed to comply with the applicable requirements.
According to the affidavit, the company contends that the statutory framework required the relevant authorities to allow it to address any alleged breach, including a period of at least 120 days to remedy such a breach where the provision applies.
The company further argues that the Minerals Commission exceeded its lawful authority in communicating the termination and that the decision was arbitrary, unreasonable, and procedurally unfair.
These are allegations made by the applicant in its court filings and have not been established by a judicial determination in the documents reviewed by Citi Newsroom.