Bright Simons, the Vice President of Policy Think Tank IMANI Africa, has called out Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners’ (E&P).
He disclosed that E&P and its advisors continue to disappoint him.
The Vice President of IMANI Africa question why Ibrahim Mahama’s E&P are selling gold from a mine when their lease has yet to be ratified by Parliament.
Bright Simons highlighted that the laws of Ghana are clear until Parliament ratifies a lease, the gold in any concession belongs to the State, and no other company.
According to Bright Simons, the stockpiles left by Gold Fields belong to the State, but Ibrahim Mahama’s E&P is acting as if they are doing Ghana a favour.
Part of Bright Simons’ post stated, “Why are they selling gold from a mine when their lease has yet to be ratified by Parliament? The law is clear. UNTIL Parliament ratifies a lease, the gold in any concession belongs to the State, and no other company. E&P has no right to be selling the gold. Even if these are stockpiles left by Gold Fields, they belong to the State. And then they make it look like they are doing Ghana a favour.
Without discipline, national champions become national problem children. The way to build national champions is to create conditions that toughen them up for competition even as you support their growth. It is not by bottle-feeding them. Hope someone listens”.
His comments come from the back of reports which suggested that E&P has sold off 100% proceed from the Damang Gold Mine to Goldbod.
Read Bright Simons’s full post below:
1. Sometimes, I find it very difficult understanding Ghanaian elites.
2. When I raise issues about E&P, the powerful mining services company which now wants to become the dominant mining company in Ghana, I come from a place of genuine concern.
3. African countries like Ghana absolutely need “national champions” to light the way and prove to national compatriots that IT CAN BE DONE! Nothing short of a mindset revolution will get Africa to catch up.
4. The continent went from over 5% share of all world (goods) trade in 1960 to LESS THAN 3% in 2025. After 65 years, competitiveness nearly HALVED! I think if you include services, the situation is probably more alarming!
5. But we all know it is not really countries that trade. It is companies that do.
6. In Q1 2026, two companies accounted for almost 45% of all South Korea’s exports – Samsung and Hynix. Around 2000, Nokia alone accounted for ~21% of Finland’s exports. Debswana accounts for over 65% or so of Botswana’s exports. So, yes, national champions matter! Greatly!
7. But national championship is about PERFORMANCE more than nationality or the passport cover of the main owner. Capital has become so complex that if you obsess over nationality alone, you would miss the bigger factors.
8. Morocco had no car exports just ~15 years ago. Then companies like Stellantis and Renault responded to strong policy signals and set up shop in the country. With careful strategy, the government got them to embed and embed. Think of it like NATURALISING.
9. Like the one million or so Ghanaians that have naturalised elsewhere and are sweating day and night to grow those economies. Like Zoomlion that is busy trying to build roots in half a dozen countries beyond Ghana. It’s not easy, but that’s how it works.
10. Due to the work of the likes of Renault & Stellantis, cars and “car value chain” outputs are now ~35% of Morocco’s exports. ~224000 jobs have been created. Of the 600k cars exported out of Morocco in 2024, ~540k came from the two companies. Who inspected the passports of all investors in those two companies before counting the billions flowing into Morocco now?
11. So, we need to WISE UP. A national champion should be judged on how it IMPROVES PERFORMANCE year on year & DEEPENS Ghana’s (Africa’s) COMPETITIVENESS in local and, especially, international markets.
12. That requires TOUGH LOVE. Companies like all human collectives need DISCIPLINE.
13. That is why E&P and its advisors continue to disappoint me!
14. Why are they selling gold from a mine when their lease has yet to be ratified by Parliament? The law is clear. UNTIL Parliament ratifies a lease, the gold in any concession belongs to the State, and no other company. E&P has no right to be selling the gold. Even if these are stockpiles left by Gold Fields, they belong to the State. And then they make it look like they are doing Ghana a favour.
15. Without discipline, national champions become national problem children. The way to build national champions is to create conditions that toughen them up for competition even as you support their growth. It not by bottle-feeding them. Hope someone listens”.
See the post below:
1. Sometimes, I find it very difficult understanding Ghanaian elites.
— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) May 24, 2026
2. When I raise issues about E&P, the powerful mining services company which now wants to become the dominant mining company in Ghana, I come from a place of genuine concern.
3. African countries like Ghana… pic.twitter.com/1OLV2RmrtJ
