Re-Ibrahim Mahama’s Wealth…. More Questions Still Begging For Answers

The attempt in recent times by some writers to portray Ibraihim Mahama, the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners and other companies as somehow engaged in a dishonest enterprise, in collusion with his brother, His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, to steal state funds is worrying.

I have a read a feature by one Elikem Agbitsi Yao who claims to be a Lecturer, Lagos state University on Wednesday, 7 January 2015 (see: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=341577).

Why would not Elikem Agbitsi Yao send Ibraihim Mahama to court if he has any evidence against any financial impropriety or forward it to the police for investigation? The name Elikem Agbitsi Yao cannot be traced after exhaustive enquiries at the Lagos State University. If indeed he is a lecturer then I really pity his students with this level of intelligence. No wonder thousands of Nigerian students are rushing to Ghana for tertiary education.

Elikem Agbitsi Yao said; “Let me hasten to add that, this article is not meant to smear your (Ibrauhim Mahama) image or hard won reputation but rather an opportunity for you to answer the begging questions lingering the minds of many”. Who are the many?
Under normal circumstance,

I should not waste my time to answer your unintelligent questions but for the sake of discerning readers, I will attempt to answer your questions:

1. From the time John Dramani Mahama a brother of Ibraihim Mahama became Vice-President of Ghana to date when he is President, propaganda machinery has sought to portray Ibraihim as a rogue businessman.

2. It is clear from information available publicly that the only reason for the antagonistic stand by some people over the financial transaction between Engineers & Planners and Merchant Bank is the fact that, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, the owner of Engineers and Planners is the brother of the President John Dramani Mahama. Why a purely private financial transaction should become a political issue is really baffling.

3. Engineers and Planners have one of the biggest mining contracts in Liberia and elsewhere. Their specialty is mining. They also hire heavy equipment to mining and construction firms. This company was very much active during the JA Kufuor era and they have given employment to many young men and women in the field of engineering.

4. The acquisition of a Bombardier challenger 600 high-performance private jet by Ibrahim Mahama part of a trade deal between the astute CEO of Engineers and Planners and an American business partner. The acquisition of the aircraft became necessary following the expansion in the business operations of Engineers and Planners to other countries in the West African and Central Africa regions and also in view of some challenges involved in beating deadlines to meetings and other engagements.

The purchase of the15 seater Bombardier Jet makes the CEO of Engineers and Planners to set a record as the first indigenous Ghanaian to own and fly a private jet. The aeroplane though purchased for private use, is commercially available for rental by mining companies, oil service companies and other
corporate institutions when not in use by Engineers and Planners. . The purchase put Ibraihim in a spot light with different interpretations.

It is definitely not true that the plane has been moving in and out of the country without due regard to the laid down aviation procedures and that some people are suggesting that Ibraihim Mahama carry in it, contraband goods to foreign destinations.

5. Ibraihim Mahama’s jet definitely has nothing to do with any gold bust saga. National Security arrested two senior employees of the Geological Survey Department to assist in investigations into the controversial export of gold from Ghana to Iran.

6. Please contact the Internal Revenue Service to know Ibraihim Mahama’s tax contributions to the National kitty.

7. Apart from E&P, Ibrahim Mahama owns several other businesses. He has the franchise for MAN DIESEL Trucks across the West African region. This company known as MBG is located in Tema Industrial
Area. They sell MAN Diesel Road Trucks and undertake after sales servicing of the trucks. He also owns the biggest poultry farm in Ghana, the Asutsuare Poultry Farm producing over one hundred and fifty thousand eggs per day and capable producing 10,000 chickens in a daybirds
a year. Mr Ibraihim is into estate Development and and soon to come is a Cement Processing Plant whose construction is underway in Tema.

8. In the just concluded cocaine scandal in which a Ghanaian woman, Nayele Ametefe travelling on an Austrian passport got busted at the Heathrow Airport in London with 12.5 Kg of cocaine, every attempt has been made to smear link Ibrahim to the accused. But each time they make allegations of Ibrahim's link to Nayele Ametefe, it turns out to be false.


9. Both President J. A. Kufuor and the Asantehene- Otumfour Osei Tutudid not father Ibraihim Mahama. The biological father of Ibraihim Mahama is the late Emmanuel Adama Mahama, a wealthy rice farmer and teacher, was the first Member of Parliament for the then West Gonja Constituency and the first Regional Commissioner of the Northern Region during Ghana's First Republic under his first President, Kwame Nkrumah.

Finally the writer should do due diligence by giving examples of how some of the rich men in the Ghanaian society got their wealth.

By Mahama Haruna

The writer is the PRO of the Gonjaland Youth Association.