Serious questions have been raised about the credibility of Heath Goldfields Limited’s investment promises after a petition alleged that most of the capital-intensive projects outlined in the company’s Strategic Mine Development Plan remain unexecuted more than a year after lease approval.
Under its revised development plan, Heath Goldfields allocated US$8.8 million for processing plant maintenance between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025, including the purchase of crushers, mills, electrowinning equipment, and critical gold recovery infrastructure. The plan also detailed more than US$5 million in underground maintenance and mining investments, covering dewatering systems, ventilation, explosives facilities, and ground support .
According to the petition, apart from limited consumables such as reagents and lubricants, none of the major equipment listed in the plan has been delivered, installed, or made operational at the mine. This, the petitioners argue, suggests material misrepresentation and raises concerns that the detailed procurement schedules were used to gain an unfair advantage over rival bidders.
The Minerals Commission itself appears to have acknowledged these shortcomings, issuing Heath Goldfields a 120-day notice in October 2025 to remedy breaches of its mining lease after the company failed to meet its funding and implementation commitments. Despite the expiry of the notice period, no definitive regulatory action has reportedly been taken.
The petition warns that operational and financial distress—similar to the conditions that led to the termination of FGR’s leases—are re-emerging under Heath Goldfields, undermining investor confidence and threatening the long-term viability of the Bogoso–Prestea Mine.
Petitioners are urging the government to act swiftly to investigate the acquisition, financing arrangements, and regulatory decisions surrounding the deal, warning that failure to do so could damage Ghana’s reputation as a transparent and credible mining investment destination.
The petition directly questions the roles played by senior officials at the Minerals Commission and the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in approving and signing off on the leases.
It alleges that the eagerness to complete the transaction before a change in government may have compromised regulatory oversight. The coalition is demanding answers on who authorised the lease issuance, on what basis, and why clear deviations from stated conditions were ignored.
Workers Betrayed, Communities Bleeding
The human cost of the failed promises is at the centre of the petition. Over 400 workers have reportedly been laid off since Heath Goldfields assumed control of the mine, despite assurances that jobs would be preserved through recapitalisation and recommissioning works.
The Strategic Mine Development Plan committed the company to settle salaries, provident fund contributions, SSNIT, severance, and other legacy liabilities within seven days of negotiations with the union. Instead, the petition documents prolonged delays:
Six months of salary arrears paid only in July 2025
Provident Fund payments made in September 2025
End-of-contract benefits paid in December 2025
Several obligations, including severance pay, SSNIT arrears, Tier 2 contributions, and entitlements owed to former managers, remain outstanding.
For the mining towns of Bogoso and Prestea, petitioners say the layoffs and delays have devastated household incomes, worsened unemployment, and weakened local economies already struggling from years of uncertainty.
“Due Diligence or Rubber Stamp?” Questions Over Investment Claims
Beyond labour issues, the petition details extensive failures to implement capital projects outlined in Heath Goldfields’ own development plan. Millions of dollars were allocated on paper for processing plant rehabilitation, underground dewatering systems, ventilation, and critical mining equipment.
Yet, according to the coalition, most of the listed equipment has neither been delivered nor installed. This has stalled production and mirrored the same operational distress that led to the termination of FGR’s leases.
The petition argues that detailed cost schedules and procurement lists were used to create an illusion of readiness, misleading regulators and sidelining more realistic bids.
120-Day Breach Notice Expired, No Action Taken
In October 2025, the Minerals Commission issued Heath Goldfields a 120-day notice to remedy breaches of its mining leases after it failed to meet funding and operational commitments.
The petition states that the notice period has expired, yet no decisive regulatory action has been taken. Petitioners warn that this inaction undermines confidence in mining regulation and suggests selective enforcement.
“Is Bogoso–Prestea Being Used to Reward Kwabena Duffuor?”
One of the most politically sensitive questions raised by the coalition is whether the mine is being used as a political reward. While stopping short of making definitive claims, the petition asks whether the acquisition was influenced by political considerations rather than strict commercial and technical merit.
“Where Is the Credible Investor?”
In their closing appeal, the coalition reminds the President and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources of their public promise to secure a credible investor for the Bogoso–Prestea Mine.
“The President and the Minister promised Ghanaians a serious, well-financed investor,” the petition states. “Where is that investor?”
The coalition is calling for an independent investigation into ownership claims, financial backing, regulatory conduct, and compliance with lease conditions, warning that failure to act could further erode trust in Ghana’s mining governance and harm one of the country’s most important gold assets.
