Farmers from four communities in the Ahafo Region have accused the Lands Commission of delaying compensation for their lands, crops and structures compulsorily acquired for Newmont Ghana Gold Limited's Ahafo North mining project, nearly three years after the first acquisition.
The affected farmers, from Afrisipakrom, Terchire, Susuanso and Adrobaa in the Tano North Municipality, are also challenging Newmont's description of structures belonging to 21 farmers as “speculative”, arguing that the properties existed long before the company's mining expansion into their communities.
The farmers, operating under the Concerned Farmers Association, say the dispute over the structures is further delaying compensation approved by the Lands Commission in April 2026 for properties affected by the second compulsory acquisition.
At a press conference at Terchire on Monday November 2, 2026, the association called on the Lands Commission to resolve the outstanding issues and pay the affected farmers without further delay.
The controversy involves two Executive Instruments (EIs) through which the government compulsorily acquired lands for the mining project: E.I. 356 of September 29, 2023, and E.I. 273 of July 15, 2024.
According to the association, properties on lands covered by the first acquisition were destroyed in December 2023 when the State took possession, leaving affected farmers with little opportunity to retrieve their belongings or salvage their investments.
The farmers said the destruction deprived their families of properties and sources of livelihood, worsening their economic circumstances.
Dispute over compensation process
The association explained that before the compulsory acquisitions, affected farmers had insisted on their right to negotiate fair and adequate compensation with Newmont under Section 73 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
However, following disagreements over the destruction of farm structures and other properties, arrests of some farmers and alleged threats against those attempting to protect their properties, Newmont reportedly petitioned the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for intervention.
The farmers said that instead of continuing with the compensation and dispute-resolution procedures under the mining legislation, the government proceeded to acquire selected lands under the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).
They argued that the decision meant compensation had to be assessed and paid through the Lands Commission under the land acquisition framework.
Following difficulties associated with the first acquisition, the then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources established a Ministerial Committee involving traditional authorities from the affected communities, state institutions, lawyers for the farmers and Newmont representatives.
The committee facilitated discussions aimed at resolving the compensation disagreements and avoiding another compulsory acquisition.
As part of the process, Newmont, the affected farmers and representatives of the Lands Commission jointly inspected, counted and documented the affected crops and structures.
The association said the records were signed by the respective farmers, traditional representatives, Newmont officials, surveyors and officers of the Land Valuation Division, depending on the category of property inspected.
The exercise identified properties considered eligible for compensation and submitted them to the committee for consideration.
However, the farmers alleged that Newmont did not make itself available for the subsequent compensation negotiations, after which the government proceeded with the second compulsory acquisition under E.I. 273 in July 2024.
Farmers reject Newmont's 'speculative' claim
The association said that following the second acquisition, the field enumeration records were submitted to the Lands Commission for compensation assessment.
After several engagements between their lawyers, valuers and officials of the commission in Goaso and Accra, the Lands Commission's Valuation Technical Committee approved compensation amounts for the affected lands, crops and structures in a letter dated April 13, 2026.
The farmers said their lawyers and valuers, acting with their consent, accepted the proposed amounts in a letter dated April 24, 2026.
However, they were subsequently informed in a June 9, 2026 letter from the Lands Commission that Newmont had petitioned the commission, challenging compensation for structures belonging to 21 members of the association.
According to the farmers, Newmont relied on provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act and an alleged 2017 cutoff date under mining regulations to argue that the structures were speculative and should not qualify for compensation.
The association has rejected the argument, insisting that the government acquired the lands under the Land Act, 2020, and that compensation should consequently be determined in accordance with that legislation.
It further argued that the joint inspection records, signed by Newmont representatives and officials of the Lands Commission, established that the structures existed and were documented during the 2024 enumeration exercise.
“Our position is clear: our structures are not speculative under either the mining laws or the Land Act,” the association stated.
It maintained that the structures were used for residential, farming and other farming-related activities and formed an essential part of the affected families' livelihoods.
The farmers said it was unfair for their properties to be destroyed following compulsory acquisition and subsequently challenged as speculative when compensation was due.
E.I. 356 farmers yet to receive compensation
Beyond the dispute over structures affected by E.I. 273, the association raised concerns about farmers whose lands and properties were acquired under E.I. 356 of 2023.
It said those affected members had not received any compensation since the government took possession of their lands in December 2023 and handed them over to Newmont.
The association said the prolonged delay had plunged affected families into hardship, as their farms and other properties had been their main sources of income.
It disclosed that some members had died while others had fallen seriously ill during the waiting period, with families struggling to meet medical expenses and other basic needs.
The farmers questioned how families who had lost their livelihoods were expected to survive for years without compensation.
They stressed that the outstanding payments represented more than financial claims, as they directly affected their access to food, healthcare, shelter and other essential needs.
Association demands independent action by Lands Commission
The Concerned Farmers Association has urged the Lands Commission to exercise its mandate independently and resist any improper influence in determining and paying compensation.
It argued that although Newmont was the beneficiary of the compulsory acquisition, the responsibility for assessing and paying compensation rested with the State through the relevant institutions.
The association called on the Land Valuation Division to resolve the outstanding issues and pay compensation for the structures affected by E.I. 273 in accordance with the commission's April 13, 2026 offer.
It also demanded urgent payment to farmers affected by E.I. 356, who, it said, had received nothing since their properties were taken almost three years ago.
Additionally, the farmers want the Lands Commission to provide a written explanation of any outstanding issues and a definite timetable for payment.
“We cannot continue waiting without knowing when this suffering will end,” the association said.
The statement was signed by the association's Chairman, John Mensah, and Secretary, Adu Yaw Joseph.
The farmers appealed to the media and the general public to help draw attention to their plight, insisting that they had cooperated with the compulsory acquisition and compensation processes and deserved fair treatment and prompt payment.
Please find below the full text of the Press Statement, which presents two major issues: the delayed payment of compensation to farmers affected by the compulsory acquisition of their lands for Newmont's Ahafo North mining project, and the company's challenge to compensation for structures belonging to 21 farmers.
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE CONCERNED FARMERS ASSOCIATION OF AFRISPAKROM, TERCHIRE, SUSUANSO AND ADROBAA
OUR RESPONSE TO NEWMONT’S CLAIM THAT OUR STRUCTURES ARE “SPECULATIVE” UNDER E.I. 273 OF 2024, AND THE DELAY IN PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION UNDER E.I. 273 AND E.I. 356 OF 2023
For Immediate Release
Terchire, Ahafo Region
Good morning, members of the media. Thank you for coming.
We have invited you here to speak about the delay by the Lands Commission in paying compensation for our lands, crops and structures taken for the Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd for its Ahafo North mining project.
We also want to respond to Newmont’s petition to the Lands Commission describing our structures as “speculative”. We reject this claim. We are concerned that this petition is delaying the payment of compensation by the Lands Commission for our structures taken under compulsory acquisition E.I. 273 of 2024.
At the same time, our members whose lands and properties were compulsorily acquire under E.I. 356 of 2023 have still not received any compensation till date. We want the public to hear our side of the story, understand the hardship we face and know why we are calling for payment of our compensation without further delay.
THE STATE’S ACQUISITION AND TAKEOVER OF OUR LANDS
The Government compulsorily acquired our lands through two Executive Instruments. These are official documents through which the State acquired some selected lands for Newmont, for its Ahafo North mining project in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.
The first instrument, E.I. 356, was issued on 29th September 2023 and the second, E.I. 273, was issued on 15th July 2024. The affected lands included farms and properties belonging to members of our Association in Afrispakrom, Terchire, Susuanso and Adrobaa. In December 2023, when the State came to take possession of the lands covered by the first acquisition, our properties on those lands were destroyed. We did not have enough opportunity to remove our belongings or save what they could.
We consider the way we were treated cruel and unfair. Our properties were destroyed so that the land could be handed over to Newmont. We lost properties and sources of income on which our families depended. To explain how we reached this point, we must go back to what happened before the compulsory acquisition.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE COMPULSORY ACQUISITION?
The Government had earlier granted Newmont a mining concession in the Tano North Municipality under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703. That grant was different from the State compulsorily acquiring our lands under the Land Act, 2020, Act 1036.
Section 73 of the Minerals and Mining Act gives landowners and lawful occupiers a right to compensation when mining operations disturb our rights over the land. The compensation amount must be agreed between the affected people and the mining company. As members of the Concerned Farmers Association, we insisted on our right to negotiate fair and adequate compensation with Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd before our lands are taken.
The company then asked the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to intervene. Newmont claimed that we were preventing it from working on our lands. Our concerns were about our rights, our properties and our livelihoods. We complained about the destruction of farm structures and other properties without our consent and without compensation. We also complained about arrests of affected farmers, which we considered unlawful, and threats against members who tried to protect their properties from being destroyed by the company.
THE GOVERNMENT USED THE LAND ACT, ACT 1036 TO ACQUIRE OUR LANDS
The mining law provides a process for determining compensation and resolving disagreements. As law-abiding citizens, we expected the company and the Government to follow that process.
However, in 2023, the Government and Newmont abandoned the processes under the minerals and mining laws and proceeded to compulsorily acquire selected lands under, the Land Act 2020 Act 1036, for Newmont’s mining operations and related activities. These included lands belonging to members of our Association. This mean that compensation for that compulsory acquisition must be assessed by the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission and paid under the Lands Act. We therefore submitted ourselves to the procedures under that Act.
THE MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE AND EFFORTS TO AVOID THE SECOND COMPULSORY ACQUISITION IN 2024
Following the difficulties with the first acquisition in 2023, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources established a Ministerial Committee. The Committee included Nananom from the affected communities, representatives of relevant state institutions, lawyers for affected farmers and Newmont.
The Committee helped the parties discuss compensation in an effort to reach an agreement and avoid another compulsory acquisition.
As part of this process, Newmont, the affected farmers and representatives of the Lands Commission jointly inspected, counted and recorded the affected crops and structures.
This exercise was supervised by the Committee, chaired by the then Deputy Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission.
The crop records were completed and signed by the affected farmer, the chief farmer, a Newmont representative and a representative of the Land Valuation Division of Lands Commission.
The structure records were also completed and signed by the affected farmers, the surveyor, representatives of the Land Valuation Division, a representative of the Resettlement Negotiation Committee and a Newmont representative. The properties identified as qualifying for compensation were then presented to the Committee.
Following this exercise, the Committee called on the parties to negotiate the compensation amounts. However, Newmont did not make itself available for those negotiations. The State later proceeded with the second compulsory acquisition under E.I. 273 of 2024, took possession and handed the land over to Newmont.
THE LANDS COMMISSION AND THE DUTY TO COMPENSATE
Following the 2nd compulsory acquisition in August 2024 the field enumeration records were obtained and submitted to the Lands Commission. These records identified the properties recorded during the joint exercise as qualifying for compensation.
Our lawyer and valuers met several times with Lands Commission officials in Goaso and Accra to discuss compensation for our lands, crops and farm structures.
The Lands Commission through the Land Valuation Division has a legal duty in this process of assessing compensation when the Government acquires land. We reiterate when Government acquires land. The Land Act also requires the Land Commission to assess and pay prompt, fair and adequate compensation.
After almost 2 years of the 2nd acquisition, in a letter dated 13th April 2026 the Lands Commission, through its Valuation Technical Committee approved compensation amounts for our crops, structures and lands acquired under E.I. 273.
With our consent and approval, our lawyers and valuers accepted those amounts in a letter dated 24th April 2026 to the Lands Commission.
NEWMONT’S PETITION ABOUT OUR STRUCTURES
While we were waiting for our Compensation, we received a letter dated 9th June 2026 from the Lands Commission. The letter informed our representatives that Newmont had submitted a petition claiming that some structures belonging to 21 of us should not receive compensation. The Commission asked for our comments to enable it to decide on the matter. Our lawyer and valuers responded and rejected Newmont’s claim as unfounded.
In its petition, Newmont relied on the Minerals and Mining Act and an alleged cutoff date set in 2017 under the mining regulations to challenge compensation for our structures and describe them as “speculative”.
We find this shocking and unfair. This is because the process under that mining law had been abandoned in dealing with us and the State had instead used the Land Act, 2020, Act 1036, to acquire our lands for Newmont to which the company is currently benefiting from. We therefore question why Newmont is now returning to the earlier law to challenge payment for our structures.
We reject that approach in assessing compensation. Under the land law, Act 1036, a property is described as speculative when improvements made after the Government publishes its notice to acquire the land. It makes no reference to an alleged mining cutoff date.
We again draw attention to the joint records made during the 2024 exercise.
Newmont’s representatives signed those records alongside the affected farmers and representatives of the Lands Commission.
The records confirm that the structures were identified and recorded. They form part of the evidence that must be considered fairly when deciding our claims.
Our position is clear: our structures are not speculative under either the mining laws or the Land Act. We strongly reject the claim that our structures are “speculative”. These structures existed long before Newmont planned to extend its mining operations into our area. We lived in them and used them for farming and other farming-related businesses. They were part of our everyday lives and the means by which we supported our families. It is deeply unfair to take our lands, destroy our properties and then describe those properties as “speculative” when it is time to pay compensation.
NO COMPENSATION FOR THE FARMERS AFFECTED BY E.I. 356
The approved compensation amounts and Newmont’s petition described above concern the second acquisition, under E.I. 273 of 2024.
There is also the separate case of other farmers whose lands and properties were taken under E.I. 356 of 2023. Those members have received no compensation at all.
In December 2026, it will be three (3) years since the State took possession of our land properties and handed them to Newmont. Our lands have been taken, our properties destroyed and our sources of income lost. Yet we are still waiting for compensation. How are our families expected to survive?
We ask the Land Valuation Division of the lands Commission responsible: how would you feel if the State did not pay your salaries for three years? How would you buy food, pay for medical care and look after your families?
Our farms were our source of income. Taking them away without paying compensation has left our families in hardship.
Some of our members have died and some are very ill while waiting for payment. Families have struggled to pay for medical care during this period. The compensation could have saved lives lost and helped the affected farmers seek treatment and meet other urgent needs. These are not just files on a desk of the Lands Commission. They concern our health, food, shelter, families and livelihoods.
OUR CALL TO THE LANDS COMMISSION
Newmont is the beneficiary of the acquisition. It is not the State. It must not take over the Lands Commission’s responsibility to determine, assess and pay compensation according to law.
The way this matter has been handled gives us the impression that Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd is directing the process to our disadvantage. The Commission must exercise its own judgment, apply the law fairly and protect the rights of affected property owners.
We call on the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission to carry out their duties independently, without improper influence or compromises that undermine our rights.
We ask the Commission to resolve the outstanding issues without further delay and pay compensation for all our structures under E.I. 273 as determine in their offer letter of 13th April 2026.
We also call for urgent payment to our members affected by E.I. 356, who have received nothing since our properties were taken almost 3 years ago.
The Commission must give us a clear written explanation of any outstanding issues and a definite timetable for payment.
We cannot continue waiting without knowing when this suffering will end.
CONCLUSION
We have attended meetings, allowed our properties to be inspected and recorded, worked through our lawyer and valuers and followed the processes placed before us.
We now call on the Lands Commission to fulfil its duty.
Our lands have been taken for the project and the company is benefiting from these lands but our families continue to bear the hardship of unpaid compensation. We ask for fair treatment, respect for our rights and payment without further delay. We appeal to the media to bring our concerns to the public and help ensure that our voices are heard.
Thank you.
Signed
John Mensah (Chairman)
Adu Yaw Joseph (Secretary)
Illegal mining threatening Ghana’s relations with neighbouring countries - Zanet...
NPP started TraffiTech-GH pilot in 2023 – Akim Swedru MP
Osahen Afenyo-Markin calls for stronger enforcement of audit findings across Afr...
Ahafo North farmers clash with Newmont, accuse Lands Commission of delaying comp...
Loaded Transit Truck Left for Weeks Exposes Safety, Enforcement and National Sec...
GRIDCo CEO gives December deadline for improved power supply in Ashanti Region
GES to remove Twene Amanfo SHS teachers from Masters on Duty positions over stud...
Speaker Bagbin urges PAC to detain officials who fail to account for public fund...
Audit Service recovers over GH¢18bn in public funds between 2022 and 2026 – Audi...
Mining Conference: Local Government Minister puts Regional Ministers, MMDCEs on ...
