Mines & Energy

 More than 150 persons, mainly young men, have been arrested in a joint police and military operation in the Ahafo Region early Wednesday morning.

The coordinated security exercise took place in Kenyasi in the Asutifi North District and Hwediem in the Asutifi South District.

According to security sources, the suspects have been transferred to the Police Headquarters in Accra for further interrogation and scrutiny.

While the details surrounding the operation remain sketchy, it comes on the heels of heightened security alerts following the recent NAIMOS–Bronikrom clash, which saw violent confrontations between anti-illegal mining officers and unidentified youth.

A section of the suspects

Residents in both districts reported the presence of heavily armed police and military personnel conducting dawn operations, checking homes and screening individuals.

Officials have yet to release an official statement, but local authorities say the operation is part of broader efforts to maintain peace and ensure stability in the Ahafo Region.Source: Emmanuel Adu Gyamfi

 

Energy sector players are demanding accountability on the GH₵1 fuel levy and transparency actions to address persistent revenue and supply shortfalls.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on July 16, 2025, directed Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to begin charging a GH₵1-per-litre Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy on refined petroleum products.

The levy was designed to raise additional revenue for the energy sector — mainly to fund fuel purchases for thermal power plants and settle outstanding sector debts.

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is demanding clarity on how much has been collected and how the funds are being utilized.Executive Secretary Duncan Amoah says government must provide an update in the 2026 Budget presentation, while also prioritizing funding for a second gas processing plant to strengthen Ghana’s energy security.

“So far the economy seems to have been able to adjust to accommodate (the levy). Whatever needs to be done to consolidate it we will want to see it consolidated. Whatever it is, the tax will also need to be accounted for and we expect that the Finance Minister will capture it in the budget equally

“Whatever the Finance Minister has towards getting the train II on stream to complement the current gas processor at Atuabo, we will be happy to hear that equally because it saves this economy a lot,” Duncan Amoah added.

In the downstream sector, fuel prices have trended lower in the first pricing window of November, aided by marginal cedi stability and favorable prices of petroleum products on the international market.

Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy, Benjamin Nsiah, says maintaining currency stability will be key to sustaining the current downward trend at the pumps.

He also urges government to deploy policies aimed at closing persistent revenue gaps in the energy sector.

“The data has shown that revenue mobilization has improved under this government by ECG but we think that system losses are still high and through such partnership, we will be able to curtail or manage this higher system loses and ensure that there is a certain financial discipline and operational discipline at ECG. We expect to hear much on the private sector participation,” Benjamin Nsiah remarked

While the downstream petroleum market shows some resilience, Ghana’s upstream oil and gas industry continues to face headwinds.

Benjamin Nsiah warns that without a review of existing upstream laws to attract fresh investment, the sector’s declining output could weigh on government revenue targets and long-term energy sustainability.

“We need to review our regulatory and licensing requirements to ensure that there are medium operators within the space so that they can scale up production for us to meet the revenue target that we have projected for our budget from 2025-2030” he stressed.Source:Daniel Sackitey

 

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has urged world leaders to partner with Ghana and the African continent to drive a clean and sustainable global energy transition.

Speaking on behalf of President John Mahama at a high-level summit at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Minister said Africa’s natural endowments position it to make a transformative contribution to the world’s energy future.

He noted that the continent’s vast solar, wind and hydropower resources can be deployed to tackle the escalating global climate crisis, and called on the international community to collaborate with Africa to unlock that potential.

“The African position is clear. We are not asking for charity. We are asking for partnership in the truest sense,” he told the assembly on Thursday, November 8.

“We stand ready to be a powerhouse of green energy for the world. But we cannot do it alone.

“Therefore, on behalf of a continent poised at a pivotal moment in history, I call upon this assembly and our developed partners all over the world: We urge you to match our ambition with your action,” he added.

Armah-Kofi Buah also underscored the urgent need for global leaders to deliver on long-standing commitments to climate finance. He said predictable and accessible financing will enhance environmental preservation and help vulnerable communities adapt to climate impacts.

“The climate finance promised for so long must now flow, not just in words, but in predictable investments, concessional investments, and private-sector-leveraged investments that reach the communities who need them most,” he said.

“We need increased ambition for climate finance, with a significant portion dedicated to adaptation, and recognition of Africa’s special circumstances,” he emphasised.

In his concluding remarks, the Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s readiness to play a central role in addressing the climate crisis and called for deeper partnerships in technology, innovation and artificial intelligence.

“Let us leave Belém with a resolve to harness not only finance, but also technology, innovation and artificial intelligence to accelerate justice, equity and shared prosperity.

“From the Volta to the Western shores, Ghana stands ready to power Africa’s clean future,” he said.

COP30, hosted in the Brazilian city of Belém, is the world’s largest climate conference and brings together global leaders to accelerate emission reductions, scale up climate finance, and support nations most affected by climate impacts. The official opening is scheduled for Monday, November 10, 2025, with negotiations and high-level dialogues set to follow.

A team of journalists accompanying officials from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on an anti-illegal mining operation in the Ashanti Region have been involved in a road accident near Afari, close to Obuasi.

The accident occurred on Friday during an operation targeting illegal mining sites around the Obuasi enclave. The EPA team, supported by security personnel, reportedly came under attack from a group of irate miners at Dadwene, a nearby community, forcing the officials and journalists to retreat for safety.

Eyewitnesses say the situation escalated as the convoy attempted to withdraw from the area. One of the vehicles veered off the road at Afari, resulting in several injuries. Two journalists were said to be in critical condition following the crash.

Among those involved was Ibrahim Abubakar, the Ashanti Regional Correspondent for Media General, who escaped without major injuries.

Another reporter from Adom News, whose name has not yet been disclosed, was also part of the team.

A source close to the EPA operation told MyJoyOnline that the attack and subsequent accident have left several team members traumatised. “It was a frightening scene. The officers and journalists were under real threat before the accident happened,” the source said.

The anti-galamsey operation forms part of the EPA’s renewed efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities that continue to destroy water bodies and farmlands in the Ashanti Region and other parts of the country.

Local authorities and the police are yet to issue an official statement on the incident, but investigations are said to be underway to identify the perpetrators of the attack and assess the extent of the injuriesSource: Myjoyonline

 

The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor  Nana Ama Klutse,has recounted the events leading to the recent accident involving journalists and EPA staff during an anti-galamsey operation near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

Professor Klutse revealed that the team’s vehicle got involved in the crash while they were fleeing from a group of heavily built, armed illegal miners.

“As the operation we started yesterday (Wednesday, November 5), it’s a three-week plan that the EPA has, to ensure, especially the services that others provide for mining in our water bodies, which is illegal, we plan to tackle that aspect as well,” she explained.
“So we realised that it is not just enough to say, stop mining in the river bodies, but we saw that we needed to deal with the suppliers.”

Professor  Nana Ama Klutse

She said the operation began with the closure of several shops at Anhwia Nkwanta that supply equipment for illegal mining. On Thursday, the team was heading to another location to continue the exercise when they encountered active galamsey activities near Obuasi.

“On our way near Obuasi, we saw galamsey happening on the ground, so we decided to have a look at what they were doing. When we stopped and walked into the area, as we were getting closer, they were running away, and all of them had left by the time we got there,” she said on TV3 on Thursday, November 6.

“We looked around for what we could pick, and we did pick. While leaving, we saw that there were actually more of the excavators, three, that were inside a river body; they had mined in the river and blocked the river in such a way that it had taken different tributaries around the area and flooded some places. It is messy. It was really a bad situation.”

Professor Klutse said that as they were leaving the scene, the team noticed armed men approaching and had to flee for safety.

“We had the military with us, and the national security also were with us, but then we saw that we couldn’t exchange fire or we could not fight them, so we had to run for our lives. So in the course of running, speeding on the road, we encountered this accident,” she narrated.

According to her, one of the vehicles carrying some EPA staff and journalists collided head-on with a truck transporting pipes suspected to be used for illegal mining.

“Some of the heavily built men were dressed in black with CID written on the back. The soldiers and the national security men asked them for their ID cards, but it became confrontational, and so we had to leave because they said they could not overpower them,” she said.

She added that the EPA team received instructions from Accra to change their route immediately due to security concerns.

“While they were having the confrontation, we got intel from Accra that we should leave immediately, where we were and that even the route we planned to take, we should not use it again… we had to use another route altogether, much longer through the Western Region, the Central Region to Kumasi, but just before we reached Kumasi is when we had the head-on collision,” she explained.

Professor Klutse appealed to health workers attending to the injured journalists and EPA staff to provide them with special care, stressing that they were injured while on national duty.

“We thank God that we all have our lives now, it is just unfortunate that we have some injuries. The most critical one is a broken thigh, which is one of the Joy TV cameramen. Adom TV’s correspondent had a head injury; he is also responding to treatment. Then we have some EPA staff who were also involved in the accident; they are all responding to treatment,” she said.

“We have discussed it with the doctors and nurses in charge to pay special attention to them because we were on a national assignment before this unfortunate incident happened.”Source: Myjoyonline.com

Press Statement
For Immediate Release

 

The Ashanti Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has received with deep concern the news of an accident involving some journalists who were covering an official assignment on illegal mining activities in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

We stand in full solidarity with our affected colleagues in this difficult moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, their families, and their media organizations. The safety, welfare, and protection of journalists remain paramount to the GJA, and this unfortunate incident underscores the inherent risks associated with the critical work our members undertake in pursuit of public interest, especially on issues related to galamsey.

The leadership of the GJA in the Ashanti Region wishes to assure all affected journalists of its unwavering support. We are actively engaging relevant authorities and partners to ensure they receive the necessary medical attention and emotional support.

As journalists continue to play their watchdog role in bringing national attention to environmental and social challenges, it is imperative that their safety is given topmost priority. We call on all institutions that engage the media in field operations, particularly in high-risk areas, to adhere strictly to safety protocols and ensure proper coordination and preparedness at all times.

The GJA remains resolute in supporting our colleagues through these trying times

Signed:
Kofi Adu Domfeh
Regional Chairman
Ghana Journalists Association – Ashanti Region

 

October 7, 2025

 

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has secured a decisive legal victory in London after an international arbitration tribunal dismissed all claims brought against it by Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS).

The ruling, delivered after nearly three years of proceedings, ends a long-running dispute over the controversial termination of the PDS concession agreement, a deal that was once touted as a major step toward reforming Ghana’s power distribution sector.

Background

In 2019, PDS took over the management of ECG under a 20-year concession agreement, which was part of the Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) programme between the Government of Ghana and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the United States.

The agreement was intended to bring private-sector efficiency into ECG’s operations and improve electricity distribution across the country. However, just months into the arrangement, the Government of Ghana, through ECG, suspended and later terminated the contract.

The termination followed revelations that the payment guarantees provided by PDS—through Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance Company of Qatar—were fraudulent.

Government Policy Updates
These guarantees were a key requirement of the deal, designed to secure PDS’s financial obligations under the concession.

Despite assurances from PDS that it had fulfilled all preconditions for the transfer, investigations revealed that Al Koot had not authorised the guarantees in question. Subsequent court rulings in Qatar, including from the Qatari Court of Cassation, confirmed that the documents were indeed forged.

The Legal Battle

Following the termination, PDS initiated arbitration proceedings in London, claiming ECG’s actions were wrongful. The company sought a declaration of wrongful termination, direct costs of about US$39.4 million, and alleged lost profits of US$351.5 million.

ECG, represented by Omnia Strategy LLP, led by Cherie Blair KC, robustly defended the case, maintaining that the termination was fully justified and in the national interest. ECG argued that PDS had failed to exercise due diligence in verifying the authenticity of the payment guarantees—an omission that fundamentally undermined the concession.

The Tribunal’s Decision

After years of legal submissions and hearings, the London-seated tribunal dismissed all of PDS’s claims in their entirety. The tribunal upheld ECG’s position that the fraudulent guarantees went to the heart of the concession and justified its termination of the agreement.

Significance of the Ruling

The ruling is a major win for ECG and the Government of Ghana, shielding the state from potential financial liability amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. It also brings closure to one of the most contentious chapters in Ghana’s recent energy sector history.

With this victory, ECG is now positioned to move forward and focus on improving power distribution for Ghanaians without the shadow of the PDS dispute.Source:Citi NewsroombyCiti

The Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, has clarified his involvement in the recent confrontation between residents of his constituency and members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.

In a statement issued on November 3, 2025, Mr. Addo said he felt compelled to respond to what he described as “an unfortunate misunderstanding” surrounding his role in the incident, which has drawn national attention.

Narrating the events, the MP explained that on November 1, 2025, he was on his way to a funeral at Achrensua in the Asutifi South Constituency when he received information about a tense situation at Hwidiem involving military personnel conducting operations at a gold extraction site.

Ebenezer Kwaku Addo

He said he immediately contacted the MP for Asutifi South, Hon. Collins Dauda, who was outside the country at the time, and was asked to visit the site on his behalf to ascertain the situation.

Mr. Addo said that upon arriving at Hwidiem with his constituency vice chairman and driver, he introduced himself to the security officers present and encouraged them to speak directly with Hon. Dauda by phone.

“At the site, I saw some youth gathering, so I advised that we move to the police station to officially make a statement and hand over any suspects to the police to calm tensions,” he said.

He added that upon reaching the Hwidiem Police Station, they noticed that the main road had been blocked, preventing vehicles from moving. Together with officials from the military, police, National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), and other local security leaders, they remained at the police charge office while statements were taken.

The MP said he subsequently called the Zongo Chief of Hwidiem to assist in calming the situation, which the chief successfully did. According to Mr. Addo, the Zongo Chief later volunteered to transport the military officers in his vehicle after realizing that their pickup truck had been tampered with.

Mr. Addo reaffirmed his commitment to peace and collaboration with security agencies, stating that his intervention was intended solely to help defuse tension and prevent any escalation.

His clarification follows a police statement alleging that while the NAIMOS team was preparing to hand over suspects to the Hwidiem Police Station, the Asutifi North MP reportedly arrived at the scene with a group and demanded their release.

When the request was denied, the police said, a mob forcibly freed the suspects and chased the NAIMOS team from the area. A group of about 600 people, allegedly incited by the MP, later besieged the Hwidiem Police Station, demanding the release of the arrested miners.

They reportedly vandalised vehicles, including that of the NAIMOS Director, damaged parts of the police station, and attempted to set the facility ablaze.

Source:Leticia Osei

Calm has returned to Ahafo Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region following violent clashes between illegal miners and soldiers on national duty, according to JoyNews Editor Erastus Asare Donkor.

Erastus Asare Donkor, who has been monitoring the situation, confirmed on the AM Show that the area remains peaceful as of this morning, though some arrests have been made.

“The situation is calm as of this morning over there. From what I’m gathering, there have been some arrests of the rioters. I’m still trying to get more information from the ground, but the situation is calm,” he said.

The calm follows a chaotic confrontation captured in a viral video showing a police reinforcement team rescuing nine Ghana Armed Forces officers from an angry mob believed to be involved in illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.

The video, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows five of the officers being escorted into a vandalized 4×4 vehicle, surrounded by a crowd of irate youth. Reports indicate that the soldiers were part of a national anti-illegal mining operation in the area.

According to sources, the soldiers had stormed an illegal mining site at Bronikrom near Hwidiem, arrested the site owner, and confiscated two vehicles, mobile phones, and pistols before setting fire to some wooden structures and mining equipment.

The action reportedly angered the miners, leading to a violent confrontation during which the mob vandalised a Toyota Hilux pickup belonging to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) team.

Security has since been reinforced in the community, and investigations are underway to identify and prosecute those involved in the violence.

The incident has reignited national debate about the escalating tensions between security forces and illegal miners, as the government continues its crackdown on galamsey — a menace that has devastated water bodies and farmlands across the country.Source: Myjoyonline

 

 

By: tntnewspapergh com

The members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) have passed a resolution to demand a full-scale investigation into the unfair distribution of streetlights to electoral areas across the country.

The members are not taking it lightly after their preliminary investigation revealed that instead of 65,000 streetlights meant for the Ashanti region, available records show that only 45,000 were released.And instead of the 40 electoral areas in the 5 sub-metros within KMA getting about 12,000 streetlights, some of the electoral areas didn’t even get a single streetlight.

What sparked the members most to pass a resolution to invite the investigative agencies to conduct a full-scale investigation to trace the whereabouts of their fair share of the streetlights was that, apart from Bantama sub-metro, out of the five (5) sub-metros within the same KMA, where some electoral areas received fifty (50) streetlights, other electoral areas within the same assembly had between five (5) and ten (10) streetlights, and other electoral areas didn’t even benefit from a single streetlight.

The members passed the resolution during the 2nd ordinary meeting of the 2nd session of the 9th Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) held on Monday, 27th and Tuesday, 28th October, 2025, at Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi. Speaking to “The New Trust” newspaper after the resolution, Mr Patrick Kwame Frimpong, the Presiding Member (PM) for the Assembly, who doubles as the longest-serving elected member for the Krofrom East electoral area, explained that Prefos Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), through the Energy Ministry, decided to fix street lights in the various electoral areas in all the District Assemblies across the country. And KMA, having 40 electoral areas with five (5) sub-metros, was supposed to get their fair share of the streetlights. But per their assessment, they realised that only small street lights came to the Assembly. Mr Frimpong said, ‘Our investigation revealed that, apart from Bantama sub-metro, out of the five (5) sub-metros within the same KMA, where some electoral areas received fifty (50) streetlights, other electoral areas had between five (5) and ten (10) streetlights, and some electoral areas didn’t even benefit from a single streetlight.’

 

The Assembly members have, therefore, resolved to write to petition the Energy Ministry and Local Government Ministry, respectively, to investigate the unfair distribution of the streetlights. Besides, the Assembly members have also resolved to write to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the National Investigation Bureau (NIB), formerly BNI, to also conduct a full-scale investigation for them to know the whereabouts of the remaining streetlights meant for electoral areas within KMA.According to KMA PM, the Ashanti region was supposed to get about 65,000 streetlights, and only 45,000 out of the number per record had been released.”Our investigation further revealed that, when you go to other district assemblies, 300 streetlights were fixed at each electoral area, but the story at KMA is different because the electoral areas didn’t benefit the same. By simple calculation, if each electoral area were to get 300 streetlights, KMA, with 40 electoral areas, would be supposed to have gotten 12,000 streetlights, but unfortunately, some electoral areas didn’t even get a single streetlight,” he added. Mr Frimpong said when they detected the anomaly, they decided to write to ECG to come and explain to them what happened, but ECG officials in their response indicated that, since the contract was signed by the Energy Ministry and Prefos Limited, they (ECG) couldn’t provide any explanation to the Assembly.