A growing controversy over procurement practices in Ghana’s road sector has pitted government officials against civil society, as conflicting figures emerge over the scale of sole-sourced contracts under the flagship “Big Push” infrastructure programme.
The debate was ignited by a Facebook post from Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, who alleged that a single ministry had awarded 81 sole-sourced contracts worth more than GH¢73 billion within just seven months. He described the development as alarming, noting that over 90 percent of the total contract value was tied to non-competitive procurement.
The claim has since fueled public concern over transparency and value for money, particularly given longstanding criticisms of sole-sourcing in government contracting.
However, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has firmly rejected the characterization, describing it as misleading and inconsistent with official records.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, March 24, Mr. Agbodza stated that only 44 percent of major contracts under the Big Push programme were awarded through sole-sourcing—significantly lower than figures circulating in the public domain.
“It is important to note that only 44% of all the major contracts under the Big Push project were awarded by the ministry under sole sourcing, not what has been published by a certain online portal,” he told lawmakers.
The minister maintained that the ministry had adhered to procurement laws, employing a mix of methods to balance urgency with due process. According to him, more than 400 contracts have been awarded through open competitive bidding—an approach he described as unprecedented in the sector.
“We have also awarded over 400 contracts under open competitive bidding… It is therefore mischievous for any right-thinking member of society to conclude that the Ministry of Roads and Highways only procures works through sole-sourcing,” he said.
Mr. Agbodza further clarified that some sole-sourced contracts were not entirely new projects but extensions of existing ones—an approach he argued helps avoid costly delays associated with restarting procurement procedures.
He disclosed that 23 road projects alone were undertaken through sole sourcing at a cost of GH¢14.8 billion, insisting such decisions were driven by the need to fast-track critical infrastructure delivery.
Meanwhile, The Minority in Parliament has called for full disclosure of contract details under the “Big Push” initiative.
