Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, the former UN governance advisor, has joined in on the brouhaha surrounding businessman Ibrahim Mahama’s potential acquisition of the Damang mine.
According to Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Ibrahim Mahama’s familial ties with President John Mahama should not hinder Ghanaian participation in national industries.
Speaking on Joy News’ The Pulse on Thursday, March 26, Prof Agyeman-Duah explained, “If Ibrahim needs to do it, it must be done transparently and according to all legal procedures. The fact that he is the president’s brother should not automatically disqualify him”.
Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah recounted past controversies involving property acquisitions by relatives of political leaders.
According to him, the focus should always be on legal adherence and transparency.
“Once all the laid-down rules are followed, we shouldn’t be concerned about who owns the mine. What matters is that more Ghanaians take initiative in managing our country’s resources,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NPP Minority in Parliament has disclosed plans to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
According to the NPP minority, they are petitioning CHRAJ to investigate Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, over their involvement in the takeover of the Damang Mine, and also the use of his private jet by President John Dramani Mahama.
The Minority raised concerns about constitutional breaches in the process used to select an investor for the Damang Mine, arguing that the procedure lacked transparency and fairness.
According to the NPP minority, the whole process appeared to have been programmed, rather than conducted through a truly competitive and merit-based selection system.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Thursday, March 26, members of the Minority Caucus stated, “The Minority will not accept the government’s characterisation of this process as competitive. What we see is a winner being arranged and not selected.
“Under Article 287 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, any person may petition CHRAJ to investigate violations of chapter 24, and so the minority is formally considering a joint civil society organisations, professional bodies and concerned citizens on both the private jet and the Damang Mine process as two manifestations of the same constitutional beach.”
Earlier, the minority in parliament had 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.
However, 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.
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