The controversy surrounding the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has taken a new twist, as t
The controversy surrounding the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has taken a new twist, as the Convenor of the One Ghana Movement, Senyo Hosi, has disclosed that former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia privately expressed embarrassment over the scandal and distanced himself from it.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, November 1, 2025, Hosi revealed that Dr. Bawumia confided in him about his discomfort with the SML-GRA deal, describing it as a purely Ken Ofori-Atta-engineered arrangement that was pushed through without his involvement or approval.
“If Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will be honest, he told me straight in my face that he was embarrassed by this arrangement [SML-GRA deal],” Hosi said. “Bawumia did not sign up to this; this is a pure Ken Ofori-Atta, Akore, and Adusei matter—interestingly, Adusei’s name never comes up.”
The SML-GRA Scandal
The SML scandal dates back to 2019, when the GRA signed a contract with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited to provide revenue assurance services in the petroleum downstream sector.
The agreement, later expanded to cover upstream petroleum and mining operations, was presented as part of government’s strategy to plug revenue leakages in extractive industries.
However, the deal quickly came under scrutiny for duplicating the work of existing public institutions such as the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB), the Petroleum Commission, and the Minerals Commission. Civil society organizations, policy experts, and investigative journalists raised concerns about the lack of needs assessment, the questionable procurement process, and the enormous financial commitments involved.
Documents later revealed that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta had personally directed the expansion of SML’s mandate to cover oil production and gold exports. In a June 22, 2023 letter issued from the Ministry of Finance and signed by his Chief of Staff, Ernest Akore, the GRA was instructed to review and approve an expanded contract that would earn SML over $90 million annually from the two new sectors.
Combined with its existing contracts at the ports and in the petroleum sector, the consolidated SML deal—signed in October 2023—was projected to generate more than $500 million for the company over five years, subject to renewal.
Bawumia’s Reported Discomfort
According to Senyo Hosi, Dr. Bawumia, who chaired the government’s Economic Management Team at the time, was not consulted on the SML arrangement and became uncomfortable when the deal became a public issue.
Senyo Hosi’s disclosure appears to confirm long-held suspicions that internal divisions existed within the Akufo-Addo administration over the management of major revenue assurance contracts.
“Bawumia made it clear that he had no hand in this deal and that it was not something he would have endorsed,” Senyo Hosi noted.
The revelation has reignited debate about the extent of transparency and coordination between key economic policymakers during the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration.
OSP Investigation
Senyo Hosi’s comments come just days after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced its intention to file charges against Ken Ofori-Atta and several top former government officials by the end of November 2025.
In a press briefing on October 30, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, disclosed that investigations into the SML-GRA contract uncovered “serious financial irregularities” involving officials from the Ministry of Finance, the GRA, and individuals linked to SML.
Those expected to face charges include:
Ken Ofori-Atta, former Minister of Finance
Ernest Akore, former Chef de Cabinet to the Finance Minister
Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner-General of GRA
Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, former Commissioner-General of GRA
Isaac Crentsil, former Customs Commissioner and General Manager of SML
Kwadwo Damoah, former Customs Commissioner and MP for Jaman South
The OSP report described the entire SML arrangement as a “creation of official patronage and sponsorship based on false and unverified claims.”
It found that the contracts were needless, overpriced, and illegally procured, leading to potential financial losses to the state.
Political Repercussions and Mahama’s Intervention
Following the OSP’s findings, President John Dramani Mahama ordered the termination of all SML-related contracts on October 31, 2025.
The directive, issued through the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, instructed the current Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, to cancel the agreements immediately.
This decision marks the first major anti-corruption action under Mahama’s new administration and has been widely praised by civil society groups and anti-graft campaigners.
A Deepening Rift in the NPP
Hosi’s revelation also adds a political dimension to the controversy, as it exposes growing attempts within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to distance its former flagbearer, Dr. Bawumia, from the scandal-ridden legacy of the Akufo-Addo government.
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