Aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Miracles Aboagye, has launched a scathing attack on the government, accusing President John Dramani Mahama of channeling state gold assets to his brother, businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Channel One TV, Aboagye said, “Today, they are willing our gold to one man,” referring to ongoing controversies surrounding the $100 million Black Volta Gold Project.
According to Aboagye, the situation represents a clear conflict of interest and cronyism.
He alleged that when John Mahama was President, he appointed a Finance Minister who later became Board Chair of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).
That same bank, he claims, offered a loan to Ibrahim Mahama — the President’s own brother.
“It’s a twisted web of insider advantage,” Aboagye claimed, adding that while the NDC often accused the NPP of family-based favoritism in governance, they were now guilty of the very practice they condemned.
While Aboagye stated that he supports Ghanaian ownership of the Black Volta Gold Project as a means of creating local jobs and retaining mineral wealth, he argued that the method through which the NDC government is pursuing that agenda smacks of political patronage and undermines transparency.
“If the NDC is serious about empowering Ghanaians, it must be done through open, lawful, and competitive means — not through opaque deals handed to family,” he said.
In defense, Hamza Suhuyini, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team, pushed back on the allegations, arguing that Ibrahim Mahama’s business ventures predate his brother’s presidency.
“Ibrahim Mahama acquired most of his businesses before his brother came into office,” Suhuyini maintained, dismissing claims of nepotism.
He insisted that the businessman’s operations are legitimate and independent of government influence.
The fierce political row comes amid ongoing legal and commercial tensions between Azumah Resources Ghana Ltd and Engineers & Planners (E&P), the company associated with Ibrahim Mahama.
In an exclusive interview on Prime News on ABC News GH on July 8, John Mason, Head of Corporate Affairs at Azumah Resources Pty Ltd and spokesperson for Azumah shareholders, declared that “Azumah does not have any valid contract with Engineers and Planners,” casting doubt on E\&P’s claims of ownership.
Mason added that while E\&P had shown some financing interest, no formal acquisition or development agreement exists.
“Even though we don’t have any transaction or agreement with them, if they have the money, they can make an offer where the shareholder can consider,” he stated.
Mason further disclosed that E&P had only provided $4 million out of a proposed $250 million investment — a gap that he said raises serious doubts about their financial capacity to undertake a project of national significance.
E\&P, however, maintains that it lawfully acquired Azumah Resources Ghana Ltd in October 2023 through a $100 million deal and has since funded monthly operations at $500,000.
The company claims Azumah attempted to terminate the agreement unfairly and that a High Court ruling in June 2025 invalidated that attempt, reinforcing its position.
But Azumah insists that the court ruling does not constitute a completed acquisition.
The company says it is now moving forward with a Ghanaian-led, law-abiding development strategy, backed by international partners with a combined portfolio of more than $10 billion in mining projects globally.
As accusations of political favoritism, legal disputes, and corporate rivalry unfold, the future of the Black Volta Gold Project remains in flux.
What began as a promising initiative to boost local mining capacity has now turned into a complex battle involving law, politics, and national interest.
