A legally registered mining company is facing a complete shutdown of its operations after its concession at Anyankyirem in the Obuasi municipality was violently overrun by hundreds of illegal miners, who are now operating with brazen impunity.
Andy Amoah, the Managing Director of Mining and Construction Services, secured the concession in 2020 for large-scale, regulated mining activities. However, since May 2025, the site has been invaded by artisanal miners, locally known as ‘galamseyers,’ who have effectively taken control of the land.
The illegal miners have not only set up their own operations but are also reportedly defying all orders to vacate the property.
Disturbingly, they are alleged to be justifying their actions by claiming that the recent change in government has granted them a new right to mine the land, a claim that has no basis in the country’s mining laws.
“The168-million-dollar project spanning a period of 13 years and designed to become the next game-changer within the Obuasi enclave after AngloGold Ashanti is being brought down to its knees and more worrying is the fact that political party leaders are fronting the illegal miners to take over the site”, Mr Amoah stated.
In an impassioned plea, frustrated Andy Amoah called on the central government to step in immediately, stating that all appeals to local and regional state apparatus have so far failed to yield any action.
“We have followed due process. We have the legal documents and permit to operate here, but we have been rendered powerless. These illegal miners have taken over and we cannot access our own site. We have reported to all the relevant state institutions including the police and national security, but nothing has been done. We are pleading with the government to intervene quickly before the situation gets completely out of hand,” he said.
The businessman expressed deep concern over the audacity of the invaders and the lack of enforcement from authorities tasked with protecting legitimate businesses.
“The most frustrating part is the impunity. They operate in broad daylight, destroying the land, and no one seems able or willing to stop them. We are a lawful business providing jobs and following environmental regulations, yet we are the ones being punished. The state must protect its investors,” he pleaded.
As the excavators continue to dig without permission, the call for government intervention grows more urgent.
For now, the machines at the site are still running, but for the rightful owners, it’s a sound of loss, not profit.
Attempts to get a reaction from the Obuasi Municipal Security Council have not been successful.
