A high-stakes international legal battle has erupted between Engineers & Planners (E&P), the construction firm owned by Ibrahim Mahama, and Azumah Resources, a gold developer backed by global private equity.
The dispute, now pending before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in London, involves claims and counterclaims exceeding $100 million, stemming from a collapsed agreement over Ghana’s strategic Black Volta gold project.
The origin of the conflict traces back to a 2023 development agreement between the two parties, which granted E&P early-stage development rights and a possible equity stake in the gold venture. E&P launched legal action in October 2024, accusing Azumah of wrongfully terminating the deal and breaching contractual obligations. The company’s filing alleged that Azumah’s actions undermined a major opportunity within Ghana’s northwest mining corridor.
However, Azumah responded in December 2024 with a forceful counterclaim, formally ending the agreement and accusing E&P of failing to deliver on its obligations. According to Azumah, E&P did not secure financing, failed to initiate EPC contracts, and did not commence any significant construction activities, delays that Azumah claims jeopardized the project’s timeline.
The legal standoff escalated when Azumah Resources filed a $100 million counterclaim, citing multiple breaches of contract, alleged unauthorized actions by E&P representatives, and improper use of project-related funds. In a strongly worded press release, Azumah asserted that it “denies each and every allegation” made by E&P and stated it has resumed independent construction on the mine.
The case is now before a London-seated ICC tribunal, chaired by renowned Nigerian legal expert Funke Adekoya SAN, with tribunal members including Ghana’s Shadrack Arhin and UK-based King’s Counsel Edwin Glasgow.
E&P is being represented by Robert Smith Law Group in Accra, while Azumah has retained international firm Steptoe in London and the respected Ghanaian legal powerhouse Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah.
Complicating matters further, E&P and its CEO, Ibrahim Mahama, are simultaneously pursuing a separate defamation lawsuit in Ghana’s courts against policy analyst Bright Simons. The suit challenges public commentary suggesting E&P was in financial distress and wielding undue influence over mining policy.
The outcome of the ICC arbitration between E&P and Azumah Resources could have sweeping implications, not only for control over the Black Volta gold project but also for investor confidence and contract enforcement in Ghana’s extractive sector. Observers say the tribunal’s decision may set a new precedent for how local and international partnerships are governed in the country’s lucrative mining industry.
