Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has issued a firm declaration that the era of reckless and unregulated awarding of road contracts in Ghana is over, as the government moves to enforce strict financial discipline and transparency in the sector.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, July 30, Mr. Agbodza criticised the previous approach to infrastructure development, describing it as chaotic and fiscally irresponsible. He noted that the unplanned distribution of road contracts without due diligence or approved budgets had resulted in a legacy of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and wasted public funds.
“The era of uncontrolled, unregulated award of road contracts is far gone,” he declared. “We now have in place strict procurement procedures and prioritisation mechanisms to ensure that every project we undertake is necessary, properly funded, and delivered on time.”
According to the Minister, the Mahama administration has introduced a results-oriented framework that ties every contract to clear financing arrangements and project timelines. This approach, he said, will eliminate the inefficiencies and political patronage that previously plagued Ghana’s road sector.
He added that the new system ensures projects are not only justified by need but also aligned with national development plans and regional equity. The focus now, he emphasised, is not on the volume of contracts awarded, but on delivering quality infrastructure that serves communities and supports long-term growth.
“We are building a system that focuses not just on numbers, but on quality, integrity, and sustainability,” Mr. Agbodza stated.
He further assured Ghanaians that his ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Finance, the Public Procurement Authority, and other oversight agencies to ensure that road projects are subjected to rigorous scrutiny and that contractors are selected based on merit, not political affiliation.
As part of the sector’s reform agenda, Mr. Agbodza reiterated the government’s intention to audit all ongoing and stalled projects to determine which ones can be completed within available resources and which must be renegotiated or discontinued.
The Minister’s comments mark a clear departure from past practices and signal the government’s commitment to restoring credibility and order in a sector that has long been criticised for opacity and waste.
