Northern Ashanti Mines Workers Petition Mahama to Reopen Closed Mine

More than 400 workers of Northern Ashanti Mines Limited Company (NAMLC) have asked President John Dramani Mahama to step in and help reopen their mine. The mine was taken over by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

The employees delivered their petition on November 6 to Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Ekow Aidoo, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Asante Akim Central Municipal Assembly, who received it on the President's behalf, as first reported by Citi News.

Three hours to leave

Presenting the petition, the company's Community Relations Officer, Amponsah Alfred Oduro, said staff were left stranded after the October 22 takeover. He said they were told to leave the mine premises within three hours.

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According to the workers, the brief notice meant they could not collect their personal belongings. They said colleagues who were on break at the time still have their items locked inside bungalows and offices.

The workers said more than 430 employees have lost their main source of income. They said hundreds of households and thousands of dependants are now facing hardship as a result.

They added that over 40 per cent of the workforce came from host communities. Local businesses, suppliers, transport operators and other service providers have also been hit by the closure, they said.

Expansion plans halted

Mr Oduro said the company had been carrying out major expansion work before the closure. This included building a Processing Plant due to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2027, stockpiling mined ore, and buying 17 forty-foot containers of equipment. He said the containers are currently held at the port awaiting customs clearance.

The employees said the Processing Plant, once completed, was expected to create more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.

They also said more than 40 Ghanaian graduates were on the company's Graduate Traineeship Programme, with 50 others being onboarded. In addition, over 50 National Service places had been set aside for the 2026/2027 service year. All of these, the workers said, have now been disrupted.

Appeal for a lawful solution

The workers said they accept that government has a duty to protect natural resources and enforce mining laws. However, they called for a compassionate and constructive approach to resolving the issues that led to the termination of the mining lease.

They described the company as more than just a place of work, saying it supported their families and their future.

The petition was directed to the President, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, traditional authorities, organised labour and civil society. The workers urged them to pursue every lawful option for reopening the mine, stressing that they only want the chance to work and earn a living.

Rev. Dr. Aidoo assured the workers that he would forward the petition to the appropriate authorities for consideration. He praised them for taking a lawful and peaceful route to seek redress and urged them to stay calm while their concerns are addressed.