Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Member of Parliament for Karaga and former Finance Minister, has taken aim at the government for initially leaving out the Northern Region from its much-publicised “Big Push Programme.”
Speaking on the floor of Parliament during deliberations on the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review, Dr. Amin expressed deep frustration over the omission, especially given the overwhelming electoral support the Northern Region gave the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“When the minister presented the list of road projects to be done under the Big Push, 45 of them, I was so sad, I didn’t see a single project from my region, the Northern Region, in spite of all the support the Northern Region gave to the NDC during the elections. This morning after we spoke about this, a supplementary budget has been smuggled into the budget allocating two small road projects, the Tamale Ring Road project. We should not be toiling with the trust of the people,” Dr. Amin stated.
He accused the government of taking the region for granted by hurriedly adding only two minor road projects through a supplementary document, instead of addressing the longstanding infrastructure gaps in a meaningful way.
The Minority Caucus rallied behind Dr. Amin’s sentiments, noting that other major regions like Greater Accra and Ashanti were also overlooked in the initial project list, despite their significant populations and development needs. The Caucus questioned the criteria used in selecting the 45 projects, and called for greater transparency and balance in future allocations.
The GH¢13.8 billion earmarked for infrastructure in the mid-year budget, presented by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on July 25, has now come under intense scrutiny. The Minority is urging the government to re-evaluate the allocation formula and deliver equitable development across all regions to rebuild public trust.
