The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has confirmed the earlier decision to cancel Adamus Resources’ mining lease after a report from the Ministerial Review Committee tasked with reviewing the company’s appeal.
Speaking during a working tour of the Adamus Mine at Salman in the Ellembelle District, the Minister said the review panel had validated most of the infractions flagged in the first assessment.
This, he noted, resulted in a directive for the Minerals Commission to take over management of the mine. The action follows government’s earlier termination of Adamus Resources’ lease over alleged violations of its mining agreement.
According to the Minister, the review was carried out to ensure the company’s grievances were fully examined before a final ruling was made. He added that the committee’s conclusions backed the initial decision to revoke the lease and cleared the path for the Minerals Commission to step in.
“Following the report of the Minerals Commission to the Chief Inspector of Mines and with recommendations of the great violation of the Mining Act and mining regulations.
A recommendation for revocation of some mining leases was made. “The Minister agreed with them; there was a petition, and we formed the ministerial review committee. That work has come to an end. As a Minister, I have concluded to uphold the revocation. What that means is that the Minerals Commission should, with immediate effect, take administrative control of this Mine,” he said.
The move is part of government’s wider push to ensure Ghana’s mineral wealth is managed to serve national interests and deliver real benefits to host communities. Authorities are also looking at ways to restart operations at the Adamus Mine in order to bring back production, create employment and open up economic prospects for people in the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area and for the country at large.
The Minister’s visit was done alongside officials from the Minerals Commission and other stakeholders to review conditions at the mine and agree on next steps.
