Renowned businessman and philanthropist Ibrahim Mahama has been involved in a donation to the Ghana Prisons Service, with the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, presenting the items on his behalf.
The donation included 1000 bags of rice, 417 boxes of cooking oil, 200 boxes of mackerel, and 300 boxes of tin tomatoes, aimed at supporting inmates’ feeding during the Ramadan season.
The items will be distributed to ten prisons across the country, namely Nsawam, Ankaful, Kumasi Amanfrom, Kumasi Central, Kumasi Manhyia, Sekondi, Koforidua, Tamale, and Sunyani prisons respectively.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resourcing, retooling, and improving the conditions of officers of the service and inmates of the various prisons.
“Government is committed to resourcing, retooling, and improving the conditions of officers of the service and inmates of the various prisons,” he stated.
The Director-General of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, received the items on behalf of the service and expressed gratitude to Mr. Mahama, the president’s brother for his generosity.
“The items came at a timely period and would go a long way in supporting the service’s efforts of feeding the inmates,” she noted.
This development has raised questions about Ibrahim Mahama’s influence in the current administration, with some speculating that he may be wielding significant power behind the scenes.
Some are even calling him the new Prime Minister.
It’s worth noting that Ibrahim Mahama has been involved in various philanthropic efforts in the past.
The fact that the Minister for the Interior was seen carrying out an errand on behalf of Ibrahim Mahama has sparked concerns about the influence of the President’s brother on government officials.
“It’s unclear what role Ibrahim Mahama plays in the government, but it’s evident that he wields significant influence,” said another source.
In the past, Ibrahim Mahama has been accused of using his influence to secure government contracts and favours.
The latest development has only added fuel to the fire, with many calling for greater transparency and accountability in the government’s dealings with Ibrahim Mahama.
The President’s brother, was recently spotted driving the President’s official car during a trip to the Volta Region in a clear breach of protocol.
President Mahama recently, on a visit to Sierra Leone, returned to the use of his brother’s private jet for official duties again, despite the availability of the state jet.
In addition to Ibrahim Mahama’s involvement, several other family members and friends of the President have been appointed to key positions in the government.
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, a cousin of the President, has been appointed as an Adviser to the President and Presidential Staffer at the Presidency just as Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President.
Sammy Gyamfi, the party’s communication officer, and Lawyer Twumasi Ankrah, who are direct boys of Ibrahim Maham, have also been appointed to juicy positions linked to the mining industr,y just like a baby mama of one of the president’s brother who also grabbed a juicy mining related appointment.
The appointments have sparked concerns about nepotism and the concentration of power in the hands of family members and friends.
Critics argue that this could undermine the government’s credibility and effectiveness.
The President’s previous government was also criticized for awarding contracts to family members and friends, including Ibrahim Mahama, who was granted the rights to mine bauxite at Nhyinahini.
In a related development, former President Mahama had previously accused President Akufo-Addo of running a “family and friends government.”
Although this comment was made in 2019, it has resurfaced in the context of Ibrahim Mahama’s influential role in his brother’s government and the recent donation to the Prisons Service with the Interior Minister representing him.
“I think that the president is running a family and friends’ government. The president’s relatives and friends are all in government,” Mahama stated during a meeting with delegates of the National Democratic Congress in Koforidua, Eastern Region.
-BY Issah Olegor
