Ghanaian RADAR has learned that government has directed Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) to compensate approximately 84 farmers in the Tano North Municipality in the Ahafo Region before commencing operations at its Ahafo North Project.
Reliable sources told this paper that the directive aims to resolve long-standing compensation disputes and ensure fair treatment for the farmers affected by the yet-to-commence mining project.
The affected farmers, members of the Concerned Farmers Association-Terchire, hail from Susuanso, Afirisipakrom, Adrobaa, and Terchire, all within the Tano North Municipality.
With support from Wacam, a human rights and environmental mining NGO, they had previously resisted Newmont’s land acquisition efforts, citing inadequate consultation and their right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), a principle that ensures communities have a say in development projects affecting their lands.
However, in 2023, the government at the time invoked compulsory land acquisition under the Land Act 2020, seizing their farmlands for the project. And since 2023, these farmers have been denied access to their lands, severely disrupting their livelihoods.
Despite legal backing from Wacam and its partner CSOs, CEPIL—which have educated them on their rights under the Minerals and Mining Act (Act 703) and leading them in the negotiations—the farmers claim they are yet to receive any compensation.
Many of the farmers now struggle to survive, relying on handouts from relatives and well-wishers. Frustrated by the delay, some farmers questioned the government’s inaction: “Why take our land and leave us with nothing for two years? How do they expect us to feed our families?”
However, they warned that any further delays in compensation will provoke stronger resistance, accusing both the government and Newmont of neglecting their welfare.
