The Founder of Citizen Eye Ghana, Alex Tetteh, has called on civil society organisations, religious bodies and well-meaning Ghanaians to rally behind businessman and philanthropist Ibrahim Mahama and encourage him to take a greater interest in Ghana’s natural resources, particularly the country’s mineral wealth.

According to Mr. Tetteh, Ghana’s natural resources must be managed in a manner that creates lasting prosperity for ordinary Ghanaians rather than allowing the country’s mineral wealth to benefit only a few individuals and foreign interests.

He urged stakeholders to consider individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to supporting Ghanaians through tangible investments in education, healthcare, sports and social development.

Mr. Tetteh believes Mr Mahama’s record of philanthropy and national interventions provides a basis for Ghanaians to encourage him to take a more active role in the development and management of Ghana’s natural resources.

He argued that the country needs people with the financial capacity, entrepreneurial experience and demonstrated commitment to national development to participate in transforming Ghana’s mineral wealth into sustainable economic opportunities.

“The resources of Ghana belong to Ghanaians, and we must begin to think about how these resources can be used to create prosperity for present and future generations,” Mr. Tetteh said in his call to civil society and opinion leaders.

He maintained that the conversation should not simply be about extracting minerals, but about ensuring that the value generated from Ghana’s natural resources is invested back into the country through education, healthcare, infrastructure, industry and opportunities for young people.

Among the interventions attributed to Mr Mahama is the construction of a modern 550-bed student dormitory at Tamale Senior High School following a devastating fire that destroyed accommodation facilities at the school. The project, according to Mr. Tetteh, was personally funded by Mr. Mahama and was intended to help restore accommodation for students affected by the disaster.

Mr. Mahama has also supported scholarship initiatives, providing financial assistance and full scholarships to brilliant but economically disadvantaged students. For Mr. Tetteh, such interventions demonstrate the potential impact of private capital when directed towards areas of national need.

Mr. Tetteh also highlighted Mr Mahama’s involvement in healthcare interventions. He pointed to the Joyce Tamakloe Cancer Foundation, which was co-founded by Mr. Mahama in memory of his late mother, as an initiative aimed at raising awareness about cancer and supporting cancer treatment in Ghana. Beyond institutional initiatives, Mr. Tetteh said Mr. Mahama has on several occasions provided financial assistance for emergency medical procedures and ongoing treatment for individuals who could not afford the cost of healthcare.

He further cited the reported sponsorship of the kidney transplant of Jeffrey Adjei Boakye, describing him as one of the many individuals who have benefited from Mr. Mahama’s personal philanthropy. Mr. Tetteh also referenced the donation of Mr. Mahama’s private aircraft for use as an air ambulance in Ghana, describing the gesture as another example of private resources being deployed to address urgent national needs.

The Citizen Eye Ghana founder also cited Ibrahim Mahama’s support for Ghanaian sports, including a major corporate contribution towards the national football campaign involving the Black Stars.

He further highlighted what he described as Mr. Mahama’s interventions to empower individuals facing serious financial difficulties, including the provision of business start-up capital and financial assistance to citizens confronted with sudden hardships.

According to Mr. Tetteh, these interventions demonstrate that wealth and business success can be channelled into initiatives that directly improve people's lives.

Mr. Tetteh’s appeal comes amid continuing public debate about Ghana’s natural resources and how the country can derive greater economic value from its mineral wealth.

He is therefore urging CSOs, churches, mosques, traditional leaders and other influential figures to call for more businessmen to invest in the country's natural resources. He believes Ghana must move beyond the traditional model of extracting and exporting raw minerals and instead pursue policies that encourage value addition, local participation, industrialisation and long-term investment.

For Mr. Tetteh, encouraging capable Ghanaians such as Ibrahim Mahama to invest in and help shape the future of Ghana’s natural resources is part of a broader effort to ensure that the country’s mineral wealth works for the benefit of its people.

He therefore called on well-meaning Ghanaians to support the idea of greater Ghanaian participation in the ownership, development and value creation associated with the country’s natural resources. The ultimate objective, he stressed, should be to transform Ghana’s mineral wealth into sustainable prosperity, jobs, stronger institutions and improved living standards for generations of Ghanaians.