THE REPUBLIC vs. NEWMONT GHANA GOLD LIMITED, THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF MINES, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS) EX PARTE GABRIEL NSIAH ABABIO (NSANAAHENE), MAAME AKOSUA KOBI, MAAME ABIRI, ABENA ATAA [2021]DLCA11033

THE REPUBLIC vs. NEWMONT GHANA GOLD LIMITED, THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF MINES, TH... [2021]DLCA11033

Date	2021-11-04
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/71/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA11033

BARBARA ACKAH-YENSU JA (PRESIDING)

OBENG-MANU JNR JA

RICHARD ADJEI-FRIMPONG JA

HAROLD TIUAH ATUGUBAH WITH DENNIS DANGBEY & LEBENE ABLA MATTAH FOR APPLICANTS/APPELLANTS

KIZITO BEYUO FOR 1ST RESPONDENT

DOROTHY AFRIYIE-ANSAH (CSA) FOR 2ND & 3RD RESPONDENTS

[2021]DLCA11033
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NEWMONT GHANA GOLD LIMITED, THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF MINES, THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>EX PARTE<o:p></o:p>GABRIEL NSIAH ABABIO (NSANAAHENE), MAAME AKOSUA KOBI, MAAME
ABIRI, ABENA ATAA<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT NO. H1/71/2021&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;DATE: 4TH NOVEMBER,
2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HAROLD
TIUAH ATUGUBAH WITH DENNIS DANGBEY &amp; LEBENE ABLA MATTAH FOR
APPLICANTS/APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p>KIZITO
BEYUO FOR 1ST RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

DOROTHY AFRIYIE-ANSAH (CSA) FOR 2ND
&amp; 3RD RESPONDENTS&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>BARBARA
ACKAH-YENSU JA (PRESIDING), OBENG-MANU JNR JA, RICHARD ADJEI-FRIMPONG JA<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;RICHARD
ADJEI-FRIMPONG JA;<o:p></o:p>This
litigation has ensued from the mining exploits of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited,
the 1st respondent herein. <o:p></o:p>Sometime
in 2001, the government of Ghana granted a mining lease over a large tract of
land in the Kenyasi area in the now Ahafo region to the mining giant. Sequel to
the grant, the 1st respondent in February 2004, declared a portion
of the land comprised in the lease as a mining area for purposes of its full
mining operations. It then embarked on a process to pay compensation for
disturbance of surface rights in accordance with the provisions of Section 71
of the Minerals and Mining Law (1986), PNDCL 153, then applicable. The process
was said to involve crop enumeration/survey of all farms falling within the
mining area and the issuance of crop chit prepared for farm owners and lawful
occupiers of the land.<o:p></o:p>Few
years later between 2004 and 2006, based on the crop enumeration/survey, compensations
were paid to those captured in the exercise. These are facts that do not admit
of any disputation.<o:p></o:p>Trouble
however began when the four appellants herein, who claimed to be owners and
lawful occupiers of various portions of the land in the mining area with teak
trees and other seasonal crops thereon, were denied payment of compensation, though,
according to them, their land had been demarcated and marked for the purpose.<o:p></o:p>The
appellants’ relentless demand for compensation over the period, marked by
several correspondence traded among them and the respondents, the 2nd
and 3rd, being the Minister responsible for mines and the Attorney
General respectively, culminated, in the commencement of the judicial review
action now on appeal before us. <o:p></o:p>At
the court below, the appellants sought, as applicants, the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the applicants are
entitled to prompt, fair and adequate compensation from the 1st
respondent for the disturbance of the surface rights of the applicants.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;A
declaration that the delay by the 1st and/or 2nd
respondent to determine the compensation due the applicants as a result of the
disturbance of the applicants’ surface rights, constitutes a neglect or refusal
on the part of the 2nd respondent to determine the compensation due
the applicants.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order of mandamus directed at the 2nd</main>