The Minority in Parliament has accused businessman and brother of President John Dramani Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama,of orchestrating state capture in Ghana's mineral sector, warning that key mining assets and institutions are increasingly falling under his influence barely one year into the current administration.

In a strongly press statement issued on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, and read by the Ranking Member on the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Minority Caucus described the developments as a dangerous drift toward state capture, threatening institutional integrity, economic stability and democratic accountability.

The Caucus highlighted several cases as evidence of a pattern centred around Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners.

The Minority pointed to the impending handover of the Damang Gold Mine from Gold Fields Ghana to the state, scheduled for April 2026 following the non-renewal of the lease and a one-year extension.

They criticised the lack of transparency, noting that Parliament and the public have not been informed about the incoming operator, financing structure, or operational framework.

According to the Caucus, Parliament does not know who the next operator will be while the Ghanaian people have not been told who will control this asset. Workers and contractors face uncertainty about their livelihoods, the release stated.

The Minority argued that the uncertainty, combined with earlier inconsistent decisions on the lease, erodes investor confidence in a capital-intensive sector where predictability is essential.

The statement described the acquisition of the Black Volta and Sankofa Gold Projects by Engineers & Planners as particularly troubling.

Previously held by Australian-linked companies including Azumah Resources Ghana Ltd and Upwest Resources, the assets were transferred to Engineers & Planners in September 2025.

The Minority alleged that "the deal occurred shortly after the government took office, facilitated by significant financing including a reported US$100 million facility from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, where Ghana's Finance Minister chairs the Board of Governors."

They claimed the transaction involved pressure, intimidation, and coercive leverage rather than a willing commercial deal, labelling it as the textbook definition of state capture through state-linked financial power and political influence to reallocate assets to the President's brother.

Similar opacity was alleged at Nyinahin, site of valuable bauxite deposits managed under the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation.

The Minority noted changes to lease arrangements without public justification. They further accused a convergence of influence, pointing to key appointments where GIADEC's Chairman and CEO have ties as legal counsel and personal lawyer to Ibrahim Mahama and Engineers & Planners, while other officials including at the Minerals Commission, Ghana Gold Board, and Minerals Income Investment Fund have prior or consulting links to Mahama's companies.

The Caucus claimed "these individuals and agencies effectively report to Ibrahim Mahama's orbit rather than the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources or Parliament, making him the de facto authority in the sector."

While affirming support for local content and Ghanaian participation in mining and crediting previous NPP administrations for advancing it, the Minority rejected what it called “family monopoly and state capture.”

They argued that concentration around one individual, enabled by proximity to power, undermines competitive fairness and disguises selective empowerment as broad participation.

The statement warned of damage to Ghana's global reputation as a stable investment destination, citing a drop of seven places from 46th to 53rd in the Global Mining Investment Attractiveness Index per recent Fraser Institute data, amid concerns over governance, transparency, and policy uncertainty.

The Minority demanded immediate transparency on the Damang operator, selection process, financing, transition plan, and team including conflicts of interest, on Nyinahin bauxite decisions, on Black Volta and Sankofa transactions and financing, and on enforceable conflict-of-interest safeguards across institutions.

They vowed to resist what they termed emerging state capture firmly, lawfully, and without compromise.

The release concluded with a warning that a future NPP government would review these transactions, enforce accountability, and reverse arrangements undermining national interest or concentrating resources in privileged hands.

Ghana’s mineral wealth belongs to the people. Not to any family, it emphasised.



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