Lands Minister Orders Azumah Resources and Engineers & Planners to Resolve Dispute Within 7 Days
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has directed Azumah Resources Ghana Limited and Engineers & Planners (E&P) to resolve their ongoing dispute within seven days or face governmental intervention.
In an official letter addressed to both firms, the Minister instructed them to cease addressing their disagreements through media outlets and instead engage in constructive dialogue.
“I refer to your earlier correspondence in respect of the above subject matter, as well as the various press releases and public statements that have since been issued concerning the dispute. In light of the circumstances, I have decided to grant the parties a final period of seven (7) days within which to resolve the matter amicably. Should this period elapse without a mutually agreed resolution, a decision shall be taken in the best interest of the country,” the Minister’s letter read.
He further directed the Minerals Commission to actively facilitate discussions between the two sides, to ensure that the stalled Black Volta Gold Project in the Upper West Region can commence without further delays.
This directive comes amid heightened public attention over a legal and commercial dispute between the two companies. Engineers & Planners, owned by Ibrahim Mahama, has publicly denied accusations of political interference and wrongdoing in its US$100 million acquisition deal for Azumah Resources’ Black Volta Gold Project.
In a detailed press release issued on July 8, 2025, E&P clarified that it lawfully entered into the acquisition deal in October 2023 after Azumah approached them to sell the project, citing debt and operational difficulties. E&P claimed to have since invested US$500,000 monthly and secured approval from the Minerals Commission, alongside representation on Azumah’s board.
However, tensions escalated in August 2024 after Azumah’s director, James Wallbank, allegedly demanded a higher sale price of US$300 million due to rising gold prices. E&P rejected the demand and initiated arbitration in October 2024, leading to a court ruling in June 2025 that upheld the original contract terms and barred Azumah from terminating the agreement.
Azumah, however, denied selling the mine and disassociated itself from a US$100 million financing agreement signing ceremony held on July 7, 2025, between E&P and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). E&P countered that Azumah’s resident directors were present and that the ceremony related solely to the financing of the acquisition.
E&P maintains that the transaction remains a purely commercial deal, unrelated to politics, and plans to begin mine development with first gold production targeted within three years.
“This is a historic opportunity for a wholly owned Ghanaian company to develop a large-scale gold mine. Ghanaians should support this effort, not sabotage it,” stated Emmanuel Erskine, E&P’s Business Development Director.
The seven-day window issued by the Lands Ministry signals a final opportunity for the two parties to amicably resolve the impasse and move the project forward.
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