Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has pushed back against allegations that President John Dramani Mahama influenced the process leading to Engineers & Planners’ (E&P) bid for the Damang Mine lease, insisting the President rather distanced himself from the discussions because of his brother’s links to the company.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Sunday, May 18, the Abura Asebu-Kwamankese MP said claims that President Mahama engineered the process in favour of E&P were inaccurate.
“If you say that the President handed over to his brother, I would even agree that the President was the biggest stumbling block to E&P’s acquisition of the Damang Mine,” he added.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu disclosed that President Mahama recused himself from Cabinet deliberations on the Damang Mine lease due to the involvement of his brother, businessman Ibrahim Mahama, whose company has interests in E&P.
“At the Cabinet meeting that considered that particular matter of the Damang mining lease, the President recused himself. He did not sit in that meeting,” he stated.
According to him, the President’s decision was intended to prevent any perception of interference or conflict of interest in the process.
“Because he believed that it was an ethical thing to do, because we did not want the situation where it would appear that he was superintending the decision-making involving an entity that his brother had an interest in,” he explained.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said Cabinet discussions on the Damang concession began after the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources briefed ministers about the impending expiration of the existing mining lease and government’s position on renewal arrangements.
He further revealed that Vice President chaired the Cabinet session after President Mahama stepped aside from the discussions.
Addressing concerns over transparency, the government spokesperson stated that Cabinet rejected any attempt to hand the concession directly to E&P and instead supported a competitive process.
“We could simply have handed over to E&P without any competitive process, but Cabinet insisted that the competitive process be used,” he said.
He added that the committee overseeing the process later outlined publicly why certain companies qualified while others did not.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu maintained that President Mahama repeatedly stayed away from deliberations on the issue and remained bound by whatever collective decision Cabinet reached.
“The President was not part of the decision-making and did not stampede the process,” he stressed.
He also noted that Parliament would still scrutinise the agreement during the ratification stage.
Defending the conduct of ministers during the deliberations, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu described the Cabinet discussions as intense and independent.
“The debate at Cabinet that day was rigorous. People voiced their views frankly, without fear or favour. There was no rubber-stamp decision at that place,” he stated.
