Isaac Tandoh
The Minerals Commission will pursue Northern Ashanti Mines Limited to recover US$8.38 million in outstanding mineral right fees following the termination of the company’s mining leases and prospecting licences, its Chief Executive Officer, Isaac Andrews Tandoh, has said.
Addressing a press conference at the Commission’s head office in Accra on Thursday(October 29), Mr Tandoh said the termination of the mineral rights did not absolve the company of liabilities incurred before the decision.
The outstanding amount comprises US$8.33 million in unpaid annual mineral right fees for the mining leases and US$49,928 owed in respect of prospecting licences covering 2019 to 2025, according to a statement read by Mr Tandoh.
He said the Commission would pursue the recovery of all outstanding sums owed to the State, adding that the terminated mineral rights had reverted to the State.
Mr Tandoh said Northern Ashanti Mines, formerly Owere Mines, had repeatedly failed to settle its annual mineral right fees despite several notices and opportunities to regularise its position.
The Minerals Commission CEO said the outstanding debt exceeded US$4 million when the Commission issued a notice to remedy the breach on May 28, 2020. By December 29, 2022, the amount had risen to approximately US$6.19 million.
According to him a further notice was issued on April 14, 2025, when the unpaid fees for the mining leases stood at US$8.33 million, alongside US$49,928 for the prospecting licences. The Commission said the company failed to comply.
He said the Commission notified the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources on April 7, 2026, and requested the termination of the mineral rights. The Minister subsequently approved the issuance of the termination notice, according to the Commission.
Mr Tandoh also disputed Northern Ashanti’s claim that it had paid more than US$1 million towards the outstanding fees, saying the Commission’s records showed payments totalling US$300,000 in two instalments.
Northern Ashanti Mines has challenged the Commission’s debt calculation and the legality of the termination. The company previously said a Commission audit communication in May 2026 put its debt at approximately US$2.4 million, excluding legacy liabilities it attributed to the previous operator.
The company has also said it invested more than US$200 million in the mine after taking over in 2020 and has indicated that it is pursuing legal action over the termination.
Responding to the company’s position, Mr Tandoh said the Commission and the Minister acted within their statutory powers and followed due process.
He said the Commission would also take steps to protect the mining assets that had reverted to the State from encroachment and interference by illegal actors.
