Techire:Aggrieved farmers in the Ahafo North mine area of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) are calling for assistance from human rights organizations and activists to ensure they receive compensation for land and property. These farmers, located in Techire, Adrobaa, Afrisipakrom, and Susuanso, allege that the mine has not compensated them for lands, crops, structures, and other properties situated within the mine's concession.
According to Ghana News Agency, the farmers held a news conference in Techire, where John Mensah, Chairman of the Concerned Farmers Association, highlighted that about 84 farmers have not received their land compensation. The delay, he claimed, violates Executive Instruments 273 and 356 of 2023, imposing severe hardships on the farmers over the past four years.
Mensah further stated that the government and Newmont neglected the provisions of the minerals and mining Act, instead compulsorily acquiring lands under the Land Act 2020, Act 1036, for the mine's operations. Yaw Adu, Secretary of the Association, noted that a letter dated June 9, 2026, from the Lands Commission mentioned Newmont's petition to exclude compensation for 21 farmers' structures, labeling them as speculative.
Adu contested this claim, asserting that the structures existed before Newmont's expansion plans, thus qualifying for compensation under both the mining and Lands Acts. Mame Serwaa, a 97-year-old affected farmer, expressed her distress, stating that about 155 acres of her farms, including cocoa, oil palm, and teak plantations, were taken over, leaving her unable to support her family financially.