The United Party’s (UP) Director of Communications, Solomon Owusu, has rejected claims that the Damang Mining Lease granted to Engineers and Planners Ltd (E&P) was fraught with conflict of interest.
He says E&P has operated in the mining industry for three decades and possesses the wherewithal to mine the concession.
According to him, foreign companies have, over the years, depleted the nation’s resources under the guise of capital investment in the country, arguing that granting of the Lease to an indigenous company is the way to go.
Speaking on the BigIssue segment on NewDay morning show on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Owusu criticised the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for objecting to E&P winning the Damang Mining Lease bid, calling their stance an affront to the country’s progress.
“Under the guise of bringing capital, they come and use our local contractors to mine our gold and ship it out and you people are not worried as New Patriotic Party (NPP). In one breath, we don’t have a problem. It’s a lie, they have a total problem with it.
“Some of us are going to go back to the Ghanaian and tell them come 2028 that if you want this country to develop, the last political party you must be thinking about is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because they don’t think about us,” Owusu stated.
He said the claim that E&P won the bid because of the owner’s relation with the President is trivial, and should be discarded by well-meaning Ghanaians. “We must not be trivialising our politics.”
“I am not one of those who believe that there is conflict of interest. So in 2024 when Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration were busily dealing with Ibrahim Mahama, where was the conflict of interest?” he quizzed.
Owusu’s comments follow the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ official approval of the grant for Ghanaian-based E&P, after concluding a high-stakes competitive bidding process designed to revitalise the Damang Mine, which is one of Ghana’s most significant mineral assets.
In a press release issued today, April 7, 2026, the Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, confirmed he had upheld the recommendations of a specialised Tender Committee, which identified E&P as the most capable entity to extend the life of the Damang Mine beyond the next decade.
E&P emerged victorious from a pool of four companies that submitted bids by the 31st March deadline. According to the Tender Committee’s report, E&P’s proposal was the only one that fully satisfied the rigorous financial requirements, specifically demonstrating “evidence of access to financing, meeting the US$500 million minimum threshold”.
The committee noted that E&P demonstrated superior technical knowledge of the Damang Mine’s unique geology and infrastructure, presenting a comprehensive plan to sustain operations for at least another ten years.
“The Company demonstrated the highest capability to operate the Damang mine, substantiated by their submission of the most viable tender,” the report concluded.
The selection process followed a strict two-phase evaluation under LI 2176. The initial “Mandatory Requirements” phase—which included valid tax, SSNIT, and VAT clearances, as well as a GHS 100,000 application fee—saw two firms immediately disqualified.
Maripoma Mining Services Ltd and Vortex Resources Mining Group were both declared “non-responsive” for failing to submit the necessary documentation.
This left only E&P and Heath Goldfields Ltd for the technical evaluation. However, Heath Goldfields failed to reach the finish line, falling short of the minimum qualifying technical score of 80%. Consequently, their financial proposal was never opened.
The Minerals Commission has been directed to take all necessary regulatory steps immediately to give legal effect to the approval, ensuring a seamless transition and the commencement of the new 10-year development plan.
