Lands and Mines Watch Ghana (LMWG) has backed the government’s decision to uphold the revocation of three mining leases held by Adamus Resources Limited.
The government, on Monday, August 10, announced that it had upheld the revocation of the Akango, Salman and Nkroful mining leases after a review of the matter.
In a statement, LMWG commended the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, for the decision, saying the findings against Adamus point to serious regulatory and financial breaches in the mining sector.
According to LMWG, the findings included the alleged unauthorised assignment of mineral rights to foreign nationals, mining outside permitted areas without an approved Operating Permit, and failure to obtain environmental and forestry approvals before operations began.
The group also cited what it described as the deliberate concealment of information from the Interim Management Committee.
LMWG said the review also uncovered significant financial obligations owed to the state, including US$2.56 million in unpaid mineral rights fees, GH¢86.8 million in unpaid royalties and GH¢290.5 million in tax arrears.
It further pointed to US$224 million transferred to related parties abroad between 2020 and 2024, saying the figures raise concerns about revenue leakage in Ghana’s mining sector.
LMWG said it supports the government’s intention to take steps to recover the outstanding funds from Adamus Resources.
“LMWG endorses the Minister’s stated intention to secure an order compelling Adamus to fully settle its royalty, tax and other financial obligations to the state, and urges that this be pursued without delay,” the statement said.
The group also urged the Minerals Commission to ensure that outstanding environmental bonds are fully secured.
It cautioned that any transition towards uninterrupted operations at the affected mine sites should not come at the expense of regulatory oversight.
“We further call on the Minerals Commission to ensure that the environmental bonds still owed are fully secured, and that the transition to uninterrupted operations at the mine site does not come at the expense of continued regulatory scrutiny,” LMWG said.
LMWG said it will continue to monitor developments at the Adamus concessions and similar cases through its Quarterly Compliance Performance Index.
The organisation also said it is ready to support government efforts to strengthen enforcement and accountability across Ghana’s mining sector. headlines
