Mr. Ibrahim Mahama remains an enigma to many people in Ghana. Even those who do not know him seem to think they do. Sometimes, referred to as the junior brother of the immediate past President, John Mahama, sometimes, associated with his main company, Engineers and Planners. Sometimes known as the man Ghana Revenue Authority wants to find. In this edition, citizen Ayeebo tries to unravel some of the myths about the man Ibrahim Mahama.
Ibrahim’s interest in private sector business began with his development of interest in heavy duty equipment whilst assisting his father on his mechanized rice farms in Tamale, Ghana. He developed a further interest in U.K. where he resided for a period of five years and worked in the civil construction industry in Scotland. He also worked with M&M Properties in U.K., a property development company.
Engineers and Planners is the largest indigenously owned mining company in West Africa and is specialized in the management and hiring of heavy duty plants, equipment and machinery, haulage, oil and gas, land reclamation and restoration, dam construction and mining, the company operates in five countries: Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, DR Congo and the Republic of Guinea.
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Ibrahim is a philanthropist whose charitable foundation has been involved in impacting lives in communities where his company operates; Ibrahim put up a 3 classroom block for the people of Awunakrom in Mpohor and constructed of a nurses quarters for the Tarkwa Government Hospital and Midwifery Training School.
Most of Ibrahim’s fortune was obtained from his mining concessions and contracts to mine on behalf of multinational mining firms in West Africa. Engineers and Planners is the largest indigenously owned mining engineering company in West Africa providing service to some of the largest mining companies in the world.
The company has over the years made significant capital investments to augment its fleet of equipment to a level adequate to support operating as a main contractor to Gold Fields in Ghana. Engineers and Planners also has 2 major contracts with Gold Fields of South Africa.
In Sierra Leone and Liberia, Engineers and Planners work in partnership with ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company. Engineers and Planners was awarded this multi-million dollar contract in Liberia to mine Iron ore for the world’s largest steel and mining company at its Yekepa Mine concessions in Northern Liberia. This project includes civil engineering works for installation of an iron ore processing plant and construction of a tailing dam. Since the start of construction operations in 2006, ArcelorMittal has invested more than US$800 million in the country. In the latter part of 2013, ArcelorMittal invested an additional US$1.5 billion in Liberia and has increased in production from 4 million to 15 million tons and Engineers and Planners happens to be in the forefront of ensuring that this target is met.
Engineers and Planners hold a majority stake in a major truck dealership that covers the entire West African sub-region; the mining firm owns the franchise for MAN DIESEL Trucks across the West African region. A subsidiary company called MBG located in Tema Industrial Area sells MAN Diesel Road Trucks and undertake after sales servicing of the trucks.
Ibrahim also owns the biggest poultry farm in Ghana. The Asutsuare Poultry Farm produces over 150,000 eggs per day and capable of producing 10,000 live chicks in a day. Mr Ibrahim is into estate development and currently has plans underway to develop a multi-million dollar Cement Processing Plant in Tema.
Engineers and Planners offer mining services to about 90% of all mining companies in Ghana. Some of its major clients and projects include:
Bonte Goldmines and Sankara Goldfields where the company engages in land clearing and construction of access roads on mine sites for various mining companies including:
PW (Ghana) Ltd, Tarkwa Goldfields Ltd, Abosso Goldfields Ltd and Bogoso Goldfields Ltd Where they undertake Earthmoving and haulage of ore materials for mining contractors including, African Mining Services where the company commenced work on a contract for a topsoil stripping project at the Tarkwa open pit mine. The project required the haulage of 30,000 to 50,000 cubic metres of material per month.
Bogoso Gold Ltd. Where E&P is involved in the loading and hauling of ore at designated ore stockpiles at Densu Central (5.5 km to Rom Pad) and Beposo Stockpile (8.75 km). Minimum monthly tonnage was 120,000 tonnes.
Engineers and Planners constructed the Tailings Storage Facility for Goldfields Ghana at its Tarkwa mine site. They were also involved in the expansion of the Tailings Storage Facility for Goldfields at Damang also in the Western Region.
The company is involved in mining the Mpohor Concession for Golden Star Resources within its Huni-Butri-Benso satellite mines. Engineers and Planners also undertook a Tailings Dam Construction Project for Prestea Sankofa Gold Ltd on 10 April 2000. The contract was completed in May 2001
