The Minority in Parliament has disclosed plans to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate businessman Ibrahim Mahama and his company, Engineers & Planners, over their involvement in the takeover of the Damang Mine, as well as the use of his private jet by President John Dramani Mahama.
Addressing journalists in Parliament on Thursday, March 26, the Minority Spokesperson on Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, raised concerns about what they described as irregularities and constitutional breaches in the process for selecting an investor for the Damang Mine.
According to the Minority, the procedure lacked transparency and fairness, casting doubt on the credibility of the outcome.
They argued that the entire process appeared to have been predetermined rather than conducted through a genuinely competitive, merit-based selection system.
“The Minority will not accept the government’s characterization of this process as competitive. What we see is a winner being arranged and not selected.
“Under Article 287 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, any person may petition CHRAJ to investigate violations of chapter 24, and so the minority is formally considering a joint civil society organisations, professional bodies, and concerned citizens on both the private jet and the Damang Mine process as two manifestations of the same constitutional breach.”
Several small mining companies operated the Abontiakoon concession near Tarkwa town, leading to the sinking of eight vertical shafts and the excavation of numerous open pits.
Gold Fields has confirmed that preparations for the transition of the Damang Mine to the Government of Ghana are progressing steadily, in line with an agreement reached last year
The arrangement includes a 12-month extension of the mining lease granted to Gold Fields to ensure a safe and orderly transfer of ownership, with the handover scheduled for April 18, 2026.
As part of the commitment to sustain ongoing operations at Damang, mining activities were successfully restarted in May 2025.
Gold Fields has continued to invest in the mine, including by completing and providing a detailed feasibility study to the Government of Ghana in December 2025, setting Damang up for an extended life of mine.
Over the past year, Gold Fields has worked closely with the Government of Ghana and the Government Transition Team to prepare the mine for the transfer of ownership.
The shared focus of both Gold Fields and the Transition Team throughout this process has been to ensure that Damang is well-positioned for continued sustainable operations following the transition, supporting ongoing employment, host community development, and broader economic contributions in Ghana.
Gold Fields has operated in Ghana for over three decades and has made a significant contribution to the country’s economy through employment, local procurement, tax and royalty payments, and sustained investment in host communities.
The final step in the transition process is the transfer of ownership of the Damang mine to the Government of Ghana, in line with Ghana’s mining laws and the terms of the agreement reached with the Government.
Decisions regarding the future ownership of the mine rest solely with the Government of Ghana.
Gold Fields is committed to playing our role in supporting the transition of the Damang mine, as part of our broader commitment to long-term, sustainable operations in Ghana, a cornerstone jurisdiction in its portfolio.
Gold Fields is proud of its more than three-decade history of working with our stakeholders in Ghana. Since 2000, we have invested approximately US$5.0 billion in the Damang and Tarkwa mines and contributed US$2.9 billion to the Ghanaian fiscus through taxes, royalties, and dividends.
Gold Fields remains fully committed to supporting its employees, contractors, and host communities throughout the transition period.
In 1882, operations at the underground Abosso mine exploited banket conglomerates to a depth of 850m.
In 1920, Adjah Bippo and Cinnamon Bippo’s underground mines to the north were incorporated into the Abosso mine holdings. Abosso mine ceased operations in 1956, with recorded production of 2.7 Moz at an average gold grade of 9.8g/t.
In 1989, Ranger Exploration (Ranger) began an investigation to re-treat tailings from the Abosso mine. Following a drilling programme and subsequent feasibility study from 1993 to 1996, mining a mineralised quartz vein system extending to a depth of 200m was shown to be viable. Gold production started in November 1997.
In 2001, Gold Fields and Repadre signed an agreement to purchase Ranger’s 90% interest in Damang. IAMGold and Repadre merged, giving IAMGold an 18.9% interest in Damang, with Gold Fields retaining a 71.1% interest.
Gold Fields acquired the indirect 18.9% IAMGold interest in Damang, increasing its holding to 90%, with the remaining 10% held by the Ghanaian Government.
The Damang Expansion Project commenced in 2004 to assess the economic viability of the main pit cutback and to identify additional ore sources from areas around the main pit.
Following further drilling and a successful feasibility study (FS), the Damang pit cut-back (DPCB) and waste stripping commenced in July 2005.
Additional mineral resources from Rex, Tomento North, Tomento East, Tomento West, and Huni were added after completion of the regional prospectivity study in 2006.
In 2016-2017, Damang was re-capitalised (the Damang reinvestment project), aimed at further cutbacks to access the main higher-grade ore body at the bottom of the current Damang pit.
