Illegal Miners Seize Licensed Mining Concession at Wassa Dadieso as 3 Months of Galamsey GoUnchecked

Illegal miners have forcefully taken over a legally acquired small-scale mining concession at Dadieso in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality of the Western Region, the affected mining firm has revealed, raising fresh concerns about the enforcement of Ghana’s mining laws.

Kofreze Construction and Engineering Limited, the company that holds the concession, says it has been left helpless after galamsey operators moved onto its site with heavy equipment, including excavators and bulldozers, and began mining operations without authorisation.

Illegal Miners Seize Licensed Concession at Wassa Dadieso

Mr Frederick Korankye, Co-Director of Kofreze Construction and Engineering Limited, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the mining site was acquired through the appropriate regulatory processes in 2024, granting them the legal authority to undertake mining activities on the concession.

The company mobilised to site in 2025 where it commenced operations, but was forced to suspend activities later due to financial and other operational challenges. That suspension, however, appears to have emboldened illegal miners who interpreted the company’s absence as an opportunity to seize control of the valuable concession.

“About three months ago, we had information that illegal miners have taken over the concession because they think we were not active on the site, so we went there and saw them actively mining with excavators and bulldozers,” Mr Korankye recounted.

The scale of the illegal operation is alarming. The presence of heavy machinery such as excavators and bulldozers suggests that the illegal miners are not small-time operators but well-resourced groups capable of deploying sophisticated equipment on seized concessions.

Illegal Miners Destroy Company Assets on Mining Concession

According to Mr Korankye, the activities of the illegal miners are causing extensive damage to the company’s assets on the site, adding further financial burden to an already struggling firm. The destruction of equipment, infrastructure, and the environmental degradation caused by unregulated mining operations represent significant losses.

The company has reported the matter to both the Wassa Amenfi East Municipal and Western Regional Police Commands for action. However, Mr Korankye expressed frustration that no concrete steps have been taken so far to stop the galamseyers and protect the company’s assets on the concession.

“Our cry is for the security agencies to protect our assets from the galamseyers so we have written to Lands Commission, Minerals Commission, and others telling them that we cannot be held liable to anything on the concession,” Mr Korankye said.

Government Institutions Fail to Act Against Illegal Miners

Beyond the police, Kofreze Construction says it has lodged several petitions and official complaints at key state institutions, including the Minerals Commission, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the National Security Secretariat, urging them to intervene. All efforts have proved futile.

The inability or unwillingness of state institutions to act against the illegal miners has left the company in a precarious position. It holds a legally valid concession but cannot access or operate it, while the illegal miners continue to extract minerals without consequence.

This situation echoes the broader galamsey crisis that has devastated communities across Ghana, with radiologists recently warning that illegal mining activities have exposed approximately four million Ghanaians to serious kidney disease risks through contaminated water sources.

Illegal Mining Threatens Ghana’s Investment Climate

Mr Korankye warned that the inability of security agencies to enforce mining laws and protect legally acquired concessions from illegal miners could erode investor confidence in Ghana’s mining and minerals sector.

“The inability of the security agencies to enforce mining laws and protect legally acquired concessions from illegal miners could erode investor confidence in the country’s mining and minerals sector,” he cautioned.

Ghana’s mining sector is a critical pillar of the national economy, contributing significantly to government revenue, foreign exchange earnings, and employment. The persistent failure to curb illegal mining operations sends a dangerous signal to both domestic and international investors that the rule of law cannot be guaranteed in the sector.

The Minerals Commission, which is responsible for regulating mining activities in Ghana, has faced repeated criticism for its perceived inability to police the thousands of small-scale mining operations across the country. The Wassa Amenfi East case adds to a growing list of incidents where licensed concession holders have been displaced by illegal operators with apparent impunity.

Mr Korankye called on the appropriate state institutions to act swiftly and drive the illegal miners away from the company’s concession, protect their assets, and ensure that the rule of law prevails in Ghana’s mining communities.

The case raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of Ghana’s mining regulatory framework and whether the country’s security agencies have the capacity and political will to confront the galamsey menace that continues to threaten both legitimate business operations and the environment.

Source: Ghana Business News