The debate surrounding the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, revoking the mining lease of Adamus Resources Limited has ignited a crucial discussion on local business ownership and environmental law enforcement.
While commentators like IMANI Africa’s Kofi Bentil argue that government must protect indigenous firms, retired miner Samuel Kwaku Mensah challenges the notion that Ghanaian ownership should shield any enterprise from legal accountability.
Mensah argues that the controversy must center on two key issues: whether Adamus Resources adhered to the conditions of its lease, and whether the Ministry followed due process in carrying out the revocation.
Law Enforcement:
The state’s campaign against illegal mining—driven by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has led to the arrest and prosecution of roughly 600 Ghanaians. These individuals, often driven by economic necessity, faced the full force of the law regardless of their nationality.
Allowing a large-scale corporate entity to avoid regulatory consequences simply due to its local ownership creates an unacceptable double standard.
Reports from the Minerals Commission outline severe regulatory and financial defaults attributed to Adamus Resources:
Unpaid Royalty Fees: GH¢86.8 million
Tax Arrears: GH¢290.5 million
Unpaid Mineral Rights Fees: US$2.56 million
Unexplained Capital Transfers: US$224 million transferred to related parties abroad between 2020 and 2024
Environmental Bonds:
Remaining only partially fulfilled
If a company owes substantial public revenues and defaults on environmental obligations, local ownership cannot serve as a blanket exemption.
State revenue generated from royalties and taxes funds critical infrastructure, including roads, healthcare, and clean water systems.
Protecting domestic industry should mean promoting fair compliance, not granting immunity from financial and ecological duties.
High-Profile Precedents:
The legal action against Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) and his company, Akonta Mining, demonstrated that political status and Ghanaian identity do not place an operator above national law.
Applying the law to prominent businessmen while shielding corporate entities undermines public trust and weakens enforcement against illegal mining (galamsey).
Furthermore, the public silence of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and its CEO, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, raises questions regarding institutional consistency.
While the Chamber previously commended judicial action against Akonta Mining, it has remained quiet on the Adamus lease revocation.
This inaction is particularly notable given that the CEO of Adamus Resources serves as Vice Chair of the Chamber.
The Chamber’s stance, whether supportive of regulatory enforcement or critical of procedural flaws—needs clear public articulation to maintain credibility.
Regulatory Integrity:
Supporting indigenous mining enterprises does not require compromising regulatory oversight. Government can assist local firms through technical guidance, access to capital, and transparent concession allocations while simultaneously enforcing strict legal standards.
The core issue extends beyond Adamus Resources:
If the lease revocation was procedurally flawed or unearned, Adamus Resources must be given full opportunity to challenge the decision in court.
If the government established that Adamus Resources breached its statutory obligations, the revocation must stand to protect environmental integrity and rule of law.
Enforcing equal accountability for individual miners, influential businessmen, and corporate operators alike is the only sustainable pathway toward a credible, environmentally responsible mining sector in Ghana.
Opinion By Samuel Kwaku Mensah.
