Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, has said he supports President Mahama’s decision to terminate the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Prof. Gyampo noted that his alignment with the President’s decision is not because he is an appointee of the President but believes it is the right decision taken given the many questions raised about the contract.
“So OSP is saying that the work itself that SML is said to have done never happened and it is also having serious issues with the investigative work of KPMG. We thought KPMG over the years had gained some credibility and reputation for the work they do.
“This has culminated in the President of the Republic directing the termination of the whole SML deal. I fully align myself with the directive of the President not just because I am his appointee but also because of my believe that if it is wrong, it is wrong, if it is right, it is right.
“If after the work of the OSP that now question not only SML but even the audit of KPMG and if the reason of the President, the thing is a no-no and its wrong, then we all must support the President,” he said in an interview on TV3 Key Points, Saturday, November 1, 2025.
President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the immediate termination of all existing contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), according to 3News’ reliable sources at the Presidency.
The directive comes following the conclusion of a high-profile investigation into the contracts conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The instruction from the Presidency, which marks an end to one of the most contentious government contracts in recent memory, was triggered by the findings of the OSP’s probe.
The directive, which was issued as a letter from Dr. Callistus Mahama, Executive Secretary to the President, to the Minister of Finance, explicitly states:
“Following the conclusion of the investigation conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) into the contracts awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), I have been directed by His Excellency, the President of the Republic, to request that you take immediate steps to terminate all existing SML-related contracts forthwith.”
Background to the controversial deal
The SML contracts, initially signed with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance were intended to provide revenue assurance services, first in the downstream petroleum sector and later expanded to cover upstream petroleum and the mining value chain.
The deal attracted fierce public scrutiny and outrage after investigative reports alleged the company had inflated claims of revenue savings and questioned the legitimacy of its expertise. The contract was also criticized for being single-sourced, and some reports suggested the long-term value could reach over $100 million annually.
The controversy deepened with the OSP’s intervention. The Special Prosecutor’s investigation concluded with a scathing assessment, disputing the justifications for the deal and its value for money.
The OSP’s findings labeled the GRA-SML deal a “masterful and mischievously crafted scheme” and stated that there was “no genuine need” for the contract to perform the obligations SML was purportedly contracted for.
Furthermore, the OSP’s probe uncovered allegations that over GH¢1.4 billion had been paid to SML without adequate monitoring or evaluation. The OSP has also publicly implicated the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in connection with the deal.
