The minority in parliament has alleged that Ghana is dangerously drifting towards state capture in the mining sector, just one year into President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
According to the NPP minority, Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President John Mahama, is wielding undue influence in Ghana’s mining sector.
They alleged that since the President’s return to office, companies linked to Ibrahim Mahama have gained unprecedented and unfair advantages.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the Minority Spokesperson on Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, stated, “Now Ghana stands today at a defining moment in our natural resource governance. Barely one year into the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, we are witnessing what can only be described as a dangerous drift towards state capture in the mining sector,” Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong stated.
“This is not an abstract concern. This is not rhetorical or alarmist. This is unfolding in real time through decisions, patterns, and actions that threaten our institutional integrity, economic stability, and democratic accountability.”
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong pointed to Ibrahim Mahama’s upcoming transition of the Damang gold mine from Goldfields Ghana as an example of the lack of transparency.
According to the minority, Parliament and the Ghanaian public have been kept in the dark about who will operate the asset.
The Minority further alleged that there was a systematic placement of individuals with close ties to Ibrahim Mahama in Ghana’s mining sector’s regulatory landscape.
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong fingered the appointment, the CEO of GIADEC was the personal lawyer of Ibrahim Mahama, and that a member of the GIADEC board, Mr Augustus Agbeli-Amegashi as close associate of Ibrahim Mahama’s Exton Cubic Group and Engineers & Planners.
Also, pointing to the Deputy CEO of the Minerals Commission in charge of Local Content and Mineral Titles, Victoria Awuni, who worked as a group manager for compliance at Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers & Planners.
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong further stressed that the CEO of the Ghana Gold Board, GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, was also the public relations officer for Ibrahim Mahama’s Exton Cubic.
The minority added, “Taken individually, each of these may be explained, but taken together, they point to something far more serious and dangerous, a growing convergence between public institutions and a single private corporate orbit”.
“Every major agency that should report to the Minister now answers to Ibrahim Mahama’s orbit, not to the Minister or Parliament,” Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong claimed.
“While they use that particular parameter to actually assess us and judge us, it is only proper that whilst in office in the last year we also try and turn the skills on them and see how they have performed under that particular parameter,” he said.
Meanwhile, reports suggest the Approval for the acquisition of the Damang Mine by Engineers and Planners was granted by former Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, in March 2024.
According to Rafik Mahama, special aide to Ibrahim Mahama, Engineers & Planners (E&P), which has served as the sole mining contractor at the Damang Mine since 2017, expressed interest in acquiring the mine after Gold Fields decided to exit in 2023.
E&P subsequently secured a No Objection in March 2024, approved by Samuel Abu Jinapor.
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The Minority in Parliament is raising concerns over what it describes as a creeping state capture involving the brother of President John Dramani Mahama, businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) March 18, 2026
According to the caucus, Ibrahim Mahama is allegedly taking control of a significant portion of… pic.twitter.com/dML6F4DEgO