Open Letter to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President-Elect of the Republic of Ghana

Your Excellency,

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance extends our heartfelt congratulations on your decisive re-election as President of the Republic of Ghana. Your victory reflects the trust the Ghanaian people have placed in your leadership and vision to reset the nation.

As you prepare to assume office, we are keenly aware of the constrained fiscal space and significant economic challenges facing our nation. Prudent economic management and fiscal discipline, combined with targeted investment in economic and social priority areas, is imperative. The coming year demands bold and decisive action to eliminate revenue leakages and ensure the judicious use of our national resources to drive sustainable and inclusive development for all Ghanaians.

Your Excellency, the Coalition stands ready to support your administration in implementing reforms that enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency. To this end, we respectfully present the following recommendations as critical priorities for your new administration:

1. Terminate the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) contract

The ongoing SML contract has diverted millions of Ghana Cedis into private hands without delivering commensurate value to the nation. Terminating this agreement will seal a significant revenue leakage and restore public confidence in financial management practices.

2. Abolish the Agyapa royalties deal and review the Mineral Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act

We urge your administration to permanently terminate the controversial Agyapa Royalties Deal, which threatens Ghana’s mineral wealth and has faced widespread public rejection. While President Akufo-Addo paused its implementation, the underlying MIIF Act requires amendments to introduce stringent transparency and accountability measures in mineral revenue investment.

3. Reform the energy sector

• Limit political interference in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) within the energy sector, especially GNPC and Ghana Gas, to promote leadership stability and operational efficiency.
• Address persistent challenges in the energy distribution value chain, which have eroded sector performance and profitability.

4. Combat illegal mining and strengthen environmental governance

• Repeal the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462).
• Enforce existing mining laws, investigate the allocation of mineral licenses in forest reserves and prosecute politically exposed persons and traditional leaders complicit in illegal mining.
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to promote sound environmental governance, protecting our forests, rivers, and ecosystems for future generations.

5. Enhance anticorruption measures across all sectors

• Improve transparency in procurement processes to prevent inflated contracts and insider dealings.
• Strengthen oversight institutions like the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to independently investigate and prosecute corruption cases.
• Ensure public officials declare their assets transparently and comply with Ghana’s asset declaration laws.

6. Deliver on your commitment to run a lean government.

Fulfill your commitment to running a lean, efficient government that reduces waste and directs public resources toward productive sectors.

7. Prioritize inclusive governance

• Engage civil society and citizen groups as key stakeholders in decision-making processes.
• Ensure equitable distribution of resources, addressing disparities across regions to promote inclusive development.
• Repeal the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (ACT 947) to free funds earmarked for specific development purposes.

8. Identify and ringfence resources of key economic and social priorities

Identify key priorities in economic and social investment early in the life of your government, and ringfence the needed resources.

Your Excellency, we believe these actions align with your First 120 Days Social Contract and will honor the trust Ghanaians have placed in you, providing a solid foundation for restoring fiscal stability, fostering inclusive governance, and achieving sustainable development.

We assure you of our unwavering commitment to collaborating with your administration to build a better Ghana for all.

We wish you success as you prepare to assume office, and we look forward to a fruitful partnership.

Signed by:

1. Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP)
2. Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
3. Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC)
4. iWatch Africa   
5. Revenue Mobilization Africa (RMA)
6. Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa)
7. IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
8. Centre for Extractives and Development (CEDA)
9. Institute of Energy Security (IES)
10. Human Environment and Livelihoods Platform Foundation (HELP Foundation Africa)