Former workers of the Bogoso-Prestea Gold Mine say several of their colleagues have died while waiting for compensation and benefits owed them by the mine’s new operator, Heath Goldfields Limited (HGL).
They are calling for urgent government intervention, warning that more families are being pushed into severe hardship as the crisis drags on.
Addressing a news conference in Accra on Wednesday, the workers’ spokesman, Gabriel Madobi Okletey, said the situation has gone beyond a labour dispute and now presents a humanitarian emergency.
“Some of our colleagues died waiting for what is lawfully theirs,” Mr. Okletey said. “Others are sick and unable to access healthcare. Elderly and long-serving workers now live in fear and disappointment after dedicating their lives to this mine.”
The mine’s previous operator, Future Global Resources (FGR), had its lease terminated in September 2024 after breaches including unpaid SSNIT contributions, arrears on Provident Fund deductions, delayed salaries and persistent protests.
Workers initially welcomed the government’s decision, hoping it would protect their rights and restore operational stability.
Government subsequently reassigned the mine to HGL in November 2024, announcing that the new company had the technical expertise and financial strength to turn around the struggling operation, clear outstanding debts, and inject long-term capital.
However, Mr. Okletey said those expectations have collapsed. “What should have been a turnaround has become yet another season of suffering,” he told journalists. “Families cannot survive this any longer.”
Mr. Okletey detailed several instances where HGL set and later missed deadlines to pay disengaged workers their benefits.
In August 2025, the company assured workers that outstanding Provident Fund contributions would be cleared by the end of that month and that severance and other entitlements would be settled by the end of September. A further memo in October pushed the timeline to December.
“As we speak today, many benefits remain unpaid,” he said. “Our children are home because we cannot pay school fees. Some families have been thrown out of their homes. We are tired of shifting timelines and excuses.”
He emphasised that the Labour Act requires full payment upon termination of employment and insisted that the workers do not consider themselves bound by a separate arrangement HGL reached with the Mine Workers Union.
The spokesman questioned whether government conducted robust financial checks before handing the mine to HGL.
“When FGR was removed, the main issue was lack of capital. How then did we end up with another operator that is showing the same weaknesses?” he asked.
He said HGL’s current focus on the reprocessing of old tailings suggests the company does not have the capital required for comprehensive operational revival.
“If the goal was only to treat old tailings, the previous operator could have done that,” he argued. “Bogoso-Prestea needs a full revival, not another short-term fix.”
Mr. Okletey thanked Lands Minister, Hon. Armah Kofi Buah, for issuing a 120-day ultimatum to HGL but stressed that decisive action is now overdue.
“Honourable Minister, our families are suffering beyond measure. Promises have been broken over and over again,” he said. “If Heath Goldfields cannot meet its financial and legal obligations, they should step aside for a more capable operator.”
He asked the minister to compel immediate payment of End of Contract Benefits, Outstanding Leave Arrears, the 2023 bonus and redundancy pay.
Mr. Okletey cautioned that the situation at Bogoso-Prestea should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers overseeing mining concessions and lease transfers.
I l“If this mine collapses due to poor oversight, Ghana will lose a vital national asset,” he said. “We are asking government to rescue this mine and put it back on a path of profitability for future generations.”
He concluded that the former workers stand ready to support any action that ensures stability, dignity, and sustainable investment at Bogoso-Prestea.
“We are not just fighting for money,” Mr. Okletey said. “We are fighting for justice, accountability, and the future of a mine that has fed thousands of Ghanaian families for decades.”
