The General Manager of Northern Ashanti Mines, Kenneth Allen, says he was never informed that the company’s mining lease at Konongo in the Ashanti Region had been granted to another consortium, even as military and police personnel reportedly took control of the facility and ordered workers to vacate.
Allen told Citi Prime News that he learned of the alleged transfer during a visit by a Minerals Commission team to the mine on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. The officials inspected the site before meeting management in the boardroom, where they asked whether he was aware the lease had been granted to another consortium. Allen said he told them he had no knowledge of any such agreement.
“They asked a second question, am I aware that the lease has been given to another consortium? And I said that, with respect to that, I am not privy to any agreement or the lease to another consortium,” he said .
The revelation came a day before military and police personnel reportedly seized the mine’s premises on Thursday, October 22. According to Allen, the security personnel arrived while management was holding its regular production meeting and said they had received instructions from higher authorities for workers to leave the site. The operation affected about 430 people, comprising 240 permanent staff and contractors .
The identity of the alleged new consortium and the circumstances surrounding the reported transfer remain unclear. It is also not known whether the development is connected to the controversy surrounding mining interests associated with Ghanaian entrepreneur Angela List and a reported attempt to take over Adamus Resources .
A Lease Already Under Legal Challenge
The reported transfer comes against the backdrop of a pending court challenge by Northern Ashanti Mines over the termination of its mining lease. Court documents 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 has filed an application for judicial review at the High Court in Accra against the Minerals Commission, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Attorney-General, arguing that the termination was unlawful and breached mandatory procedures under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2176) .
In a supporting affidavit, the company’s Administrative Manager, Jonathan Adongo, alleges that Northern Ashanti Mines was neither notified of the breaches cited in the termination letter nor given an opportunity to remedy them before the decision was taken. The company argues that Section 68 of Act 703 required the 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 .
According to the court filings, the company wrote to the authorities on May 4, 2026, seeking a review of the termination, and submitted a further petition to the Lands Minister on May 20. The affidavit states that neither petition received a response .
Northern Ashanti Mines is asking the court to quash the termination decision and to restrain the Minerals Commission and the Minister from taking further steps based on the April 30 letter, including granting or reallocating the Konongo concession to another party. The company also seeks a declaration that its lease remains valid for the unexpired term .
The court documents reviewed do not establish whether the High Court has granted any interim injunction or stay that would bar the authorities from proceeding with a transfer. The precise relationship between the reported security operation and the disputed lease termination has not been independently established .
Background: A Historic Mine and a Pending Legal Battle
According to the supporting affidavit, Northern Ashanti Mines received its mining lease on February 20, 2023, covering approximately 125 square kilometres at Konongo. The company, formerly known as Owere Mines, describes itself as a wholly Ghanaian-owned business established to redevelop the historic Konongo Gold Mine, which it says had been inactive for at least 15 years. It claims to have invested in equipment, infrastructure and processing facilities and employed approximately 220 people in preparation for mining operations .
The company has previously reported security challenges at the concession. In September 2024, it raised concerns following what it described as an armed invasion by illegal miners, alleging that two staff members suffered gunshot wounds and that vehicles and installations were damaged .
Unanswered Questions
The dispute raises several unresolved questions. The Minerals Commission has not publicly disclosed whether a new concession has been granted, identified the relevant approval, or explained the statutory process followed. It also remains unclear whether the previous lease was formally cancelled, whether the decision was subject to review, and what legal basis permitted any new arrangement to proceed .
The legal basis for the physical takeover must also be examined separately. The relevant questions include whether the operation was authorised by a valid administrative directive, a court order, or another statutory power, and whether the instructions given to security personnel fell within that authority. The fact that an operation is conducted by state security personnel does not, on its own, establish the legality of the underlying decision .
Citi Newsroom said it is seeking clarification from the relevant authorities on the alleged transfer of the lease and the security operation at Northern Ashanti Mines .
