Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners (E&P), Planners, Ibrahim Mahama, has promised to reinvest in the Damang community following his company's takeover of the Damang Mine in the Western Region of Ghana.

In a speech delivered during the handover ceremony held at the mine site on Saturday, April 18, where the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, performed the formal transfer, Mr Mahama, in response to a petition by the youth of the community, noted that he will construct two huge hospitals, concrete roads, and an airport in the community.

“So what I want to say is that whatever money we make from here, we will reinvest it here. The transfer of the mine to EMP is for everybody. It’s not for me. I also want to build my own personal house here, so I will be living with you”, the CEO said.

He said in two years the people of Damanag will drive on a good road network and in 6 months they will have an airport, pledging other development plans for the surrounding communities, adding that his promises aren’t political propaganda but “I beg you, this is not political talk. This is real talk”.

He said, “I want to make a pledge for everybody to hear. I got a message from one of our young men saying we should build astro turfs for all the communities, which we are looking to do. We have applied for the area to have an airport, and within six months, there will be an airport, so that we can fly easily from here.

In the next two years, we will be able to drive from here to Cape Coast on a proper road. Not here alone, we will also extend it to the surrounding communities. We are looking to build hospitals. I saw the youth, are the youth here? My youth. Thank you. You talked about hospitals. I’m looking to build two large hospitals here”.

Mr Ibrahim Mahama pledged his commitment to demonstrating that Ghanaians are capable of investing in themselves, while promising major investments to benefit surrounding communities.

“I would say that, look, if we all put our minds together, this is a success story. And the plan I have for Damang Mine is not a joke. I just want to prove that we can invest in ourselves in this country,” he said.

Background to the takeover

Discussions about the transition began about a year ago when the mining lease of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, under which it had operated for about two decades, expired.

Government, as part of its commitment to boosting local participation, declined to renew the lease and ordered the start of a competitive tender process to identify a new operator. However, it granted a one-year extension to allow for an orderly transition ahead of the final handover, which occurred over the weekend.

The bidding process

As the mining lease for Gold Fields neared expiry, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources announced a competitive bidding process on March 24 to select a new operator for the Damang Mine.

About four companies submitted bids before the March 31 deadline, which were reviewed by the Minerals Commission under the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2176).

Following the evaluation, Engineers and Planners, owned by Ibrahim Mahama, emerged as the winning bidder after meeting all requirements, including technical, financial, and regulatory criteria.

The Minister assured transparency and job protection during the process, following concerns raised by Gold Fields workers.

Authorities indicated that bidders were required to demonstrate strong financial capacity, including access to at least $500 million in funding, as well as technical expertise and operational readiness. Engineers and Planners met these requirements and secured the highest evaluation score.

The Damang Mine, located in Ghana’s Western Region, is one of the country’s major gold-producing assets and has played a significant role in the national mining industry for decades.

Government officials said the tender process and eventual handover are intended to sustain operations, protect jobs, and strengthen local ownership in Ghana’s mining sector.

Minority reacts to transition

The Minority in Parliament has stated that the Damang Gold Mine now under the Engineers and Planners (E&P) Limited did not go through a “proper transparent and fair manner”.

In an interview with the media on Tuesday, April 7, the Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Akwasi Konadu, insisted that the process was rushed and failed to meet the necessary standards.

“The same ministry goes ahead in doing that job on behalf of the President, sets up a committee with agencies appointed directly by the minister to oversee these processes and executes these processes just under four days. And you find this as going through a proper transparent and fair manner?

“You see, local participation is something that we all encourage but the process must be above par. That is what we look for, not anything. It must be so open such that any other person could put in a fortified bid. In this one, the person and the object are so bad that they do not speak well of us,” he added.

The Minority Caucus’ statement follows comments by the Acting Director of Legal Affairs at the Minerals Commission, Josef Iroko, who insisted that the handover of the Damang Mine to Engineers and Planners Limited (E&P) followed due process.

His comment comes amid allegations of favouritism in the awarding of the Damang mining lease to Engineers and Planners Limited. On April 1, the government initiated the official process to transfer the Damang Gold Mine from Gold Fields to Engineers and Planners after months of dispute over ownership.