Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has revealed that Cabinet forced a competitive bidding process for the Damang Mine concession.

This, he said, was after what he described as a rigorous and heated debate over the future of the mining lease.

Speaking on PM Express on Monday, the Abura Asebu-Kwamankese MP rejected claims that President John Mahama influenced the process in favour of Engineers & Planners (E&P), a company linked to the President’s brother, Ibrahim Mahama.

According to him, the President stayed away from Cabinet discussions on the matter to avoid any perception of conflict of interest.

“When the Lands and Natural Resources Minister brought the matter to Cabinet for consideration, first of all, he needed to draw the attention of Cabinet to the fact that the lease for the Damang Mine was expiring,” he said.

He explained that President Mahama recused himself from every Cabinet discussion involving the Damang Mine lease because of Ibrahim Mahama’s interest in E&P.

“He believed that it was the ethical thing to do because we did not want a situation where it would appear that he was superintending decision-making involving an entity that his brother had an interest in,” he stated.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the Vice President chaired the meeting in the President’s absence.

He disclosed that Cabinet members strongly opposed any attempt to hand over the concession without competition and insisted on an open process.

“When the minister came, the Cabinet records will show that Cabinet insisted that a competitive process be used to select which company gets it,” he said.

He argued that the move was unprecedented, adding that he was not aware of any mining concession in Ghana that had previously gone through a competitive bidding process.

The government spokesperson stressed that the President neither directed nor influenced the final outcome.

“He was not part of the decision-making and did not stampede the process because, really, as was the case in times past, government could simply have handed over to E&P without any competitive process, but Cabinet insisted that the competitive process be used,” he said.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu described the Cabinet discussions as intense and candid.

“Our respect for the President really went high that day,” he said. “His presence alone can serve to intimidate people who may have other thoughts, and I can assure you that the debate at Cabinet that day was rigorous.”

He added that ministers openly expressed differing opinions without fear.

“It was not like it was a rubber stamp. No, there was no rubber-stamp decision at that place,” he stressed.

According to him, the process remains subject to parliamentary approval, allowing concerns to be raised and debated publicly.

“We are insisting that all the processes should be exhausted to the letter in this particular case,” he said.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu maintained that, contrary to allegations of state capture, President Mahama’s conduct rather slowed E&P’s path to securing the Damang Mine concession.

“I would even agree that the President was the biggest stumbling block to E&P’s acquisition of the Damang Mine,” he stated.