Story by, Paul Mensah Nsor
The Minerals Commission has confirmed the immediate revocation of three mining leases held by Adamus Resources Limited, citing “systematic and flagrant violations” of Ghana’s mining laws, including illegal assignment of mineral rights and the use of foreign nationals for unauthorized mining operations.
CEO of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, announced the decision Monday, April 27, 2026, at a press conference in Accra. The revocation affects the company’s Akango, Salman, and Nkroful mining leases and follows a directive by Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
According to Mr.Isaac Tandoh, routine inspections by the Commission’s Inspectorate Division found that Adamus Resources Limited unlawfully assigned portions of its mineral rights to third parties without prior ministerial consent, in direct breach of Section 14 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
Investigators documented active mining preparations at the Akango and Salman concessions using excavators and bulldozers. The operations had no approved mining operating plans or permits from the Chief Inspector of Mines.
“On the Akango concession, clearing had been completed for the commencement of mining operations, with three excavators and one bulldozer operational during the site inspection,” Mr. Tandoh said. “Foreign nationals, specifically Chinese nationals, were engaged in illegal mining activities at a site located several kilometres from Adamus’ mine infrastructure, with no access road to the Company’s processing plant.”
A similar situation was found at the Salman concession, where eight excavators and one bulldozer were undertaking preparatory earthworks. Chinese nationals without permits were operating more than 4 kilometres from Adamus’ mine site, also without direct access to the company’s infrastructure.
CEO Isaac Tandoh said no mineral resources or reserves were defined in the released areas to justify any legally sanctioned contract mining operations. The activities, he added, were “substandard, environmentally destructive, and inconsistent with accepted industry practices.”
The Minerals Commission said the violations caused significant environmental degradation, including land disturbance and risks to water bodies. “Such unlawful activities also deprive the Republic of legitimately earned mining revenue and pose serious public health risks through the use of unregulated chemicals and pollutants,” Mr. Tandoh stated.
While mining law typically requires a notice period to remedy breaches, the Commission said immediate revocation was justified. “Immediate revocation is justified where the public interest and environmental protection demand urgent action, or where the illegalities or breaches are found to be flagrant and deliberate,” Mr. Tandoh explained.
He stressed that the decision was “neither arbitrary nor politically motivated” but a “lawful, evidence-based action taken to protect Ghana’s natural resources, environment, and public interest.”
The Commission has recommended the prosecution of Adamus Resources Limited and its directors under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995). Mr. Tandoh noted that the revocations are “without prejudice to criminal charges” against the company and its directors.
“The Minerals Commission will not condone the abuse of mineral rights, the destruction of the environment, or the subversion of our laws under the guise of investment, or the use of foreign operators to conduct illegal mining under the cover of a lease,” he said.
CEO Tandoh used the press conference to clarify Ghana’s position on contract mining. He said the requirement that contract mining be reserved for indigenous Ghanaian companies for surface mining, or a 50% partnership with a Ghanaian-owned company for underground mining, is not new.
The provision was integrated into the 6th Edition of the Local Procurement List on January 1, 2025, in line with the Minerals and Mining (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2020 (LI 2431). He said most multinational mining companies operating in Ghana have successfully transitioned to comply.
“This is not a nationalist agenda nor an exclusionary policy. Rather, it is a deliberate strategy to empower indigenous Ghanaian firms to move beyond the role of mere subcontractors and take leading roles in their own right,” Mr. Tandoh said.
The Commission said it will work with the Ministry to safeguard lawful jobs affected by the decision and will announce transitional measures in due course. It also pledged to continue unannounced inspections, prosecute offenders, and recommend cancellation of rights where the public interest, national security, or the environment is at stake.
“Let me reiterate: Ghana welcomes responsible investment. But the era of impunity, where leases are used to facilitate ‘galamsey’ and foreign nationals operate without authorisation, is over,” Mr. Tandoh said.
The revocation of Adamus Resources Limited’s leases, he added, “serves as a precedent: illegality will not be disguised as investment.”
