The Minority in Parliament has intensified pressure on the government to disclose full details of contracts awarded under its flagship ‘Big Push’ road infrastructure programme, following allegations of procurement irregularities and cost inflation.
The demand comes in the wake of an investigative report by The Fourth Estate, which raised red flags over the extensive use of sole sourcing in the award of contracts and questioned whether the process guarantees value for money.
At a press conference on March 24, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee, warned that public confidence in the programme could erode if transparency concerns are not urgently addressed.
Call for Transparency and Accountability
Mr Nyarko acknowledged the potential of the ‘Big Push’ initiative to significantly improve Ghana’s road network and stimulate economic growth by opening up critical trade corridors. However, he stressed that the programme’s success depends heavily on transparency and accountability.
He urged the government to publish comprehensive details of all contracts awarded under the initiative, including the identities of contractors, scope of work, and unit costs per kilometre.
“We strongly believe that the government must, as a matter of urgency, publish the full details of these contracts,” he stated, adding that such disclosure would enable Ghanaians to independently assess the fairness and value of the projects.
The Minority’s concerns follow findings that the Ministry of Roads and Highways, under the leadership of Kwame Governs Agbodza, oversaw the award of 81 sole-sourced contracts valued at more than GHS73 billion within a seven-month period.
Despite the criticism, government officials have defended the procurement strategy. Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana GoldBod, has backed the use of sole sourcing in certain instances, particularly for critical infrastructure projects.
He dismissed claims of procurement abuse, maintaining that the approach was necessary to fast-track key road projects under the Big Push programme.
The controversy has heightened public scrutiny over the management of large-scale infrastructure investments, especially as billions of cedis are committed to road development.