Bolgatanga, Sept. 26, 2026 – Nalamtaaba Mining Enterprise, a small-scale mining enterprise, has called on the Minerals Commission to remain neutral in the boundary dispute between the company and Earl International Gold Ghana Group and allow the court to determine the matter.
Mr Raymond Yin Puzer, Deputy Public Relations Officer of Nalamtaaba Mining Enterprise, who made the call at a press conference in Bolgatanga, said the Commission should refrain from actions that could undermine the ongoing court proceedings.
He said the dispute was before the Bolgatanga High Court, which had granted an interlocutory injunction against some parties in the matter including Earl International, the Minerals Commission and other parties.
Mr Puzer said Nalamtaaba had operated on its 25-acre concession since 2014 after obtaining a mining licence, which was renewed in 2020, adding that the company had also applied for a further renewal in 2025.
He said the concession currently had about 17 active mining shafts and provided direct and indirect employment to about 1,500 people.
Mr Puzer said the Minerals Commission, in 2022, made arrangements for some small-scale miners in the area to cede their concessions to Earl International, but Nalamtaaba declined the proposal and continued its operations.
He alleged that Earl International had subsequently trespassed onto portions of the Nalamtaaba concession to undertake mining activities, resulting in the ongoing boundary dispute.
Mr Puzer said the Minerals Commission, together with other stakeholders, met representatives of the two companies on September 2, 2026, at the office of the Upper East Regional Minister, where a two-week stop-work order was issued to enable officials to conduct a survey to determine the boundaries.
According to him, officials who conducted the boundary exercise later addressed workers at the Nalamtaaba concession and assured them that the matter would be handled fairly.
He, however, alleged that the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission subsequently held another meeting with some of the parties involved in the court case at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council without inviting Nalamtaaba.
Mr Puzer said Nalamtaaba was subsequently served with a notice titled “Notice to Cease Operations and Vacate Mining Area”, which prompted the company, through its lawyers, to respond to the Commission on September 14, 2026.
He said the Commission subsequently issued another notice titled “Re-Prohibition Notice (Stop Work Order) and Meeting to Discuss Concerns Raised by Nalamtaaba Enterprise”, scheduling a meeting for September 17, 2026.
Mr Puzer said the company was unable to attend the meeting.
He appealed to the Minerals Commission to remain neutral and allow the legal process to take its course, saying the Commission could not simultaneously be a party to the dispute and determine the matter.
“Nalamtaaba concession is not for Chinese and can never be for Chinese. It is a business for the local people,” he said.
Mr Puzer also appealed to the military to comply with the court order and remain neutral in the dispute, saying the security agencies should not take sides while the matter was before the court.
He further called on Earl International to withdraw from what the company described as the Nalamtaaba concession and stay out of the disputed area.
Mr Puzer said Nalamtaaba would continue to operate within the law and use the appropriate legal channels to resolve the dispute.
He said the company would not vacate the concession until the matter was resolved, stressing that it would continue to protect its workers and operations through lawful means.
END