Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has pushed back against suggestions that President John Mahama influenced the award of the Damang Mine lease to Engineers & Planners (E&P). According to the MP for Abura Asebu-Kwamankese, the President was in fact the “biggest stumbling block” to the bid.
Speaking on PM Express, Kwakye Ofosu explained that Mahama deliberately stepped away from Cabinet discussions on the matter due to his brother Ibrahim Mahama’s involvement in E&P. He argued that contrary to claims of favoritism, the President’s actions made it harder, not easier, for the company to secure the lease.
He revealed that the Lands and Natural Resources Minister had informed Cabinet that the Damang lease was expiring and would not be renewed. At the meeting where the issue was discussed, Mahama recused himself entirely, leaving the Vice President to chair the session.
Kwakye Ofosu said this was an ethical choice to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. He also noted that Cabinet rejected any idea of a direct allocation and instead insisted on a competitive bidding process—something rarely used for mining concessions in Ghana.
He maintained that Mahama repeatedly recused himself whenever the matter arose, never influenced the process, and was bound by Cabinet’s decisions. He further argued that if the government had wanted to favor E&P, it could have handed over the lease directly without any competition.
Kwakye Ofosu described the Cabinet debate as rigorous and frank, with no rubber-stamping. He added that the selection committee publicly accounted for its work, and Parliament would still have the chance to review the lease during ratification.
In closing, he reiterated that if anyone claims the President handed the mine to his brother, he would counter that Mahama was actually the single biggest obstacle to E&P acquiring the Damang Mine.
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