The announcement was made during a meeting with members of the Council of State at Jubilee House on Monday, July 7.

According to the President, the Ministry of Finance has set aside funds specifically to clear a significant portion of these debts. This move is expected to enable contractors to return to stalled sites and resume work on critical infrastructure projects.

President Mahama emphasized that the Finance Minister is prioritizing these payments as part of the government’s broader strategy to accelerate project completion and support economic recovery.

Details about the payments and their overall impact will be outlined in the upcoming mid-year budget review, which will assess the economy’s performance in the first half of the year.

He also assured the Council of State that following the budget review presentation, the government will meet again with the council to discuss progress and performance.

Source: Kwame Anum

Speaking in a television interview last week, Prof Stephen Adei, who is also a former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), said he has information to the effect that persons seeking road contracts are told: “Road contracts will be given to you, provided you pay 1 million upfront.”

Reacting to the allegation in a press statement issued on Monday [Oct 23, 2023], the Ministry of Roads and Highways said, “These allegations are surprising at the least because the processes leading to the award of road contracts are open, transparent, competitive and in accordance with the law.”

“Given that the alleged conduct borders on the commission of crime against the Republic, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has today, 23rd October 2023, requested the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to fully investigate the allegations,” a press statement signed and issued by Nasir Ahmad Yartey, Head of Public Relations, said.

Contractors readiness to work with EOCO

Reacting to the Ministry’s move following the allegation, the group of contractors in a press statement said, “we wish to state clearly that non of us have had any such experience. Road contracts go through a process until the award is given.”

The contractors in their press statement therefore welcomed the Ministry of Roads and Highways’ invitation to EOCO to investigate the allegation.

“We have followed with keen interest discussions in the media space in respect of an allegation made by Professor Stephen Adei, a former Rector of GIMPA, to the effect that some contractors make upfront payments of upfront payments of GH¢1 million before the award of road contracts.”

“We have also read a press statement from the Ministry of Roads and Highways indicating that the Minister has requested the Executive Director of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to investigate the allegation.

“We wish to state clearly that non of us has have had any such experience. Road contracts go through a process until the award is given.

“The process is well known and transparent and consequently makes it very difficult for corrupt practices to prevail in the allocation of road contracts. We wish to allay the concerns of Professor Adei and the general public and emphatically state that no such bribes are paid for road contracts in Ghana, they added.

The group of contractors who endorsed the press statement are 1st Sky Ltd, Maripoma Ent Ltd, Justimoh Construction Ltd, Resource Access Ltd, Kasmo Co Ltd, Oswald Investment Ltd, Ussuya Gh Ltd., Volta Impex Ltd and Limerica Gh Ltd.

Others are Doncross Ltd, Joshop Gh Ltd, General Construction Ltd, Hardwick  Ltd, Kofi Job Construction , Menphis Construction Ltd, Mawums Ltd, Kingspock Ltd, Kingdowsco Co Ltd, Nagfairmont Gh Ltd and New Modern World Ltd.

“We will like to state that the honorable minister has led the ministry with candor and professionalism. Not only that, but he has brought discipline to the roads construction sector and has deliberately built the capacity of local contractors to meet international standards for the purpose of relying on local capacity and ensuring true independence,” they added. 

They stated: “Notwithstanding the fact that we have been taken aback of these allegations, we, as part of the community of road contractors, shall support the work of any investigative body to bring closure to these allegations.  We shall therefore standby to assist EOCO if and when invited.”

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On Monday, May 31, 2021, the news broke that Shatta Wale had allegedly assaulted the road contractor for not extending a road being constructed to his office.

The story continued that Shatta Wale allegedly hired hoodlums who rode on motorbikes to the construction site to deal with the supervisor, Mr Acquah, who was in charge of the project.

Speaking on the Daybreak Hitz show, Mr Acquah said he earlier had an encounter with Shatta Wale where the singer asked him to do his best to tar the road leading to his office but he declined and asked him to speak with the Department of Urban Roads under the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

Subsequently on Monday, when he was working at the site, he said Shatta Wale approached his workers and asked them to stop the work and after he, Mr Acquah, disagreed with him, he left to bring his “squad” to discipline him.

This black Landcruiser drove through the barricade. He then parked on the freshly laid asphalt and asked the guys to stop the work and asked them why they haven’t extended the road to his side.

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I asked them to remove and continue the work. When I said that he came to me and assaulted me verbally… He walked to his office and between 11 and 12 he came with thugs on motorbikes.

When I said I am the one in charge here one slapped me and abused some of my workers… there are swellings on my face and right arm and pain in my right rib. I have reported to the Legon Police and they will soon pick him up.

Meanwhile, speaking with Shatta Wale on the same show, he denied trespassing the newly constructed road to assault the workers.

He explained that he went to the site to see the contractor because no notice had been served on them, adding that, he also wanted to plead with him to tar his road because he suffers a lot anytime it rains.

The Shatta Movement boss said Mr Acquah disrespected him even when he was trying to reach a consensus with him by ordering his workers to work without recognising him.

We didn’t do anything violent. Do you know how much water comes into my house when it rains? I asked them to let me see the contractor because the agreement was that they were coming to fix my road. I am not above the law. I just wanted to help.

I asked that who was in charge of this place? The guy in charge then said don’t mind him work… that’s why I came back with my boys… if he spoke to me like a human being, I would have listened but he was talking to me like I was nobody, Shatta Wale said.

Listen to Shatta Wale below:

About GH¢ 2.2 billion out of three billion Ghana cedis is ready to pay road contractors for works done. This was announced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayensuano Constituency in the Eastern region, Samuel Ayeh-Paye.

“The money is ready. Out of three billion Ghana cedis, GH¢ 2.2 billion is ready to be disbursed to contractors. We learnt the money has been ready for so long but there are inconsistencies and it’s very worrying,” he said.

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According to the MP, who is also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, the Committee is yet to meet the Ministry of Finance and Highways on how to disburse the money.

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 “We are yet to meet the two stakeholders to see the way forward because we need to settle the contractors as soon as possible,” he told Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

He said his Committee has written to the Ministry of Finance on the payment plan since the money has been ready and hopes to meet the Ministry next week to see the way forward.

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To Mr Ayeh-Paye the delay in settling the outstanding debt, according to the contractors, is affecting the construction industry.

Listen to audio above:

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy