The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has formally requested access to key documents and records relating to the grant of the Damang Mining Lease to Engineers and Planners Limited, invoking the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).

In an application dated June 19, 2026, and addressed to the Information Officer of the Minerals Commission, the MP is seeking comprehensive disclosure of the terms and conditions under which the Damang concession was awarded to Engineers and Planners following the competitive tender process that concluded in April 2026.

Among the information being requested are records showing all payments made by Engineers and Planners to the Government of Ghana in consideration for the mining lease, the duration of the lease, and production returns for the Damang Mine covering 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 to date, distinguishing between gold produced through active mining and stockpile processing.

Mr Awuah is also seeking records on the quantity, grade and value of gold-bearing stockpiles at the time active mining ceased and when the concession reverted to the state, documents relating to the ownership of those stockpiles and any gold processed after the lease expired, details of any government-appointed transition team that managed the concession, as well as records on the quantity and value of gold produced, processed, sold or exported during the transition period.

The application further requests documents relating to the assay, valuation, sale, purchase and export of gold from the concession after the lease determination, including the identities of purchasers, dates, quantities and consideration paid.

The request comes amid sustained public interest in the transition of the Damang Mine, one of Ghana's major gold-producing assets, from its previous operator, Abosso Gold Fields Limited, to Engineers and Planners.

Abosso Gold Fields had operated the mine under a lease granted in 1995, which expired in April 2025. The government subsequently declined to renew the lease, citing what it described as the company's failure to demonstrate material compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). Authorities also noted that active mining had ceased in 2023, with operations focused largely on processing stockpiles.

Following the expiry of the lease, the Minerals Commission initiated a competitive tender process, with four companies submitting bids before the March 31, 2026, deadline. According to the Commission, only Engineers and Planners Limited and Heath Goldfields Limited met the mandatory eligibility requirements. Heath Goldfields, however, failed to attain the minimum technical score of 80 per cent, leaving Engineers and Planners as the sole qualified bidder after recording a combined technical and financial score of 93.15 per cent and demonstrating access to US$505 million in financing from ABSA Bank and Stanbic Bank.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, approved the recommendation on April 7, 2026, and the formal handover of the concession took place on April 18.

The award of the lease to Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, has generated public debate, with some stakeholders questioning aspects of the selection process. The Minority in Parliament has also raised concerns, with Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Akwasi Konadu, describing the process as rushed.

The Minerals Commission has, however, maintained that due process was followed throughout the procurement exercise. Acting Director of Legal Affairs, Josef Iroko, has insisted that the evaluation was conducted solely on merit, stating that "the committee went into this work without regard to anybody's last name."

In his application, Mr Awuah reminded the Minerals Commission of its obligations under the Right to Information Act, noting that Section 23 requires an Information Officer to determine an application within 14 days of receipt. He also requested that where any of the records sought do not exist, the Commission should provide a declaration under Section 24 of the Act outlining the inquiries undertaken. In addition, he invoked the Act's severability provisions, asking that any non-exempt portions of responsive records be disclosed and that any fees charged be limited to reproduction costs permitted under Section 75.