The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana’s Parliament has accused the Mahama-led administration of engineering a brazen case of state capture to benefit the President’s brother, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, through the controversial Black Volta Gold Project.
This was contained in a strongly worded statement signed by the Ranking Member on the Lands and Natural Resources committee and Member of Parliament for Mampong, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, and released on July 29, 2025.
The minority caucus raised concerns about ongoing legal disputes between Engineers & Planners (E&P), owned by Mr. Mahama, and Azumah Resources Ltd., warning that the matter reflects a larger trend of political patronage and regulatory manipulation in the country’s extractive sector.
While acknowledging that the matter is under litigation in Ghana and the UK, the Caucus argued that the situation has significant implications for transparency, public accountability, and national interest.
“The Black Volta Gold Project is merely the latest in a pattern of political patronage backing Mr. Ibrahim Mahama,” the statement read.
Exton Cubic and the 2016 Bauxite Controversy
The Minority drew parallels with the 2016 Exton Cubic saga, in which President Mahama, in his final days in office, granted his brother’s company mining leases for over 60% of Ghana’s bauxite reserves. These leases were later annulled by the Supreme Court in 2019 for violating both the Constitution and the Minerals and Mining Act.
Regulatory Capture Allegations
The statement accused the current administration of systematically placing former E&P employees in strategic regulatory roles, and cited the appointment of Sammy Gyamfi, a former E&P spokesperson, as CEO of GOLDBOD, and alleged that key figures within the Minerals Commission also have ties to E&P.
“This is state capture of the worst kind,” the statement declared, claiming the regulatory system has been skewed to favour the President’s brother in active mining negotiations, including the Black Volta case.
Damang Mines Takeover and U-Turn
The Minority also cited what it described as the abrupt decision by the government in April 2025 to refuse a routine lease renewal for the Damang Mine, operated by Abosso Gold Fields, only to reverse that decision a week later.
According to the minority, it suspects this move was a coercive tactic used to benefit E&P, which had previously lost a contract with the mine.
EBID Loan and Presidential Statements
Further fueling their suspicions, the Minority pointed to the President’s July 8 declaration that “the time has come for Ghanaians to own gold mines,” coinciding with E&P’s announcement of a $100 million loan from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).
The Minority described the statement as misleading, arguing that the benefits are concentrated within the President’s inner circle rather than extended to the broader Ghanaian populace.
Political Persecution Claims
The statement also condemned what it described as politically motivated shutdowns of opposition-affiliated mining businesses, notably those owned by NPP figure Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi). It cited the dismissal of hundreds from the security services and targeting of civil servants and judges perceived to be sympathetic to the opposition as evidence of “a politics of exclusion.”
Call to Action
The Minority pledged to remain vocal and vigilant against what it described as “refined but audacious” state capture by the NDC Government. “The land and its resources belong to all Ghanaians, not only those of the ruling political party,” it emphasized.
By: Christian Kpesese/NR NEWS
