The Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has dismissed allegations that the Ministry of Roads and Highways abused the single-source procurement process under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, disclosing that more than 90 per cent of road contracts awarded in 2025 and 2026 were procured through open competitive tendering.
Addressing the media during the Government Accountability Series in Accra yesterday, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said a government investigation ordered by President John Dramani Mahama found no evidence to support claims by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its investigative journalism project, The Fourth Estate, that the Roads Ministry had become a “sole-source factory.”
The Presidency commissioned the investigation after receiving a report from the MFWA concerning publications by The Fourth Estate alleging abuse of the single-source procurement process in the award of contracts under the Big Push initiative.
According to Mr Kwakye Ofosu, the findings of the investigation established that competitive tendering remained the dominant procurement method used by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
“One thousand three hundred and one, out of one thousand four hundred and forty-one contracts, representing 90.28 per cent of road contracts under this government were awarded through the open and competitive tendering process,” he stated.
He said the figures clearly contradicted suggestions that sole-sourcing had become the preferred method of procurement within the ministry.
Fourth Estate Claims Challenged
Mr Kwakye Ofosu noted that the title of The Fourth Estate publication, “The Sole-Source Factory,” created the impression that the majority of contracts awarded by the Ministry of Roads and Highways were procured through sole-sourcing.
He explained, however, that the government’s investigation discovered otherwise, after examining documentary evidence relating to all road contracts awarded under the current administration.
The report established that a total of 1,441 projects had been awarded by the Ministry of Roads and Highways during the period under review.
The breakdown included 405 projects undertaken by the Ghana Highway Authority, 896 by the Department of Feeder Roads, 23 legacy projects inherited from the previous administration, 63 consolidated Big Push projects and 54 projects under the main Big Push programme.
According to the report, only 140 out of the total 1,441 contracts fell under the Big Push initiative.
Of those 140 projects, 66 were awarded through single-sourcing, 51 through restricted tendering, while 23 were legacy projects inherited from the previous government after already being awarded through sole-sourcing arrangements.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the figures showed that only 4.58 per cent of all road contracts awarded by the ministry in 2025 and 2026 were procured through single-sourcing.
“The evidence above clearly shows that single sourcing was not the primary mechanism for general Ministry of Roads and Highways contracts,” he stated.
Big Push Contracts Explained
The Government Communications Minister said the investigation found that focusing solely on Big Push contracts created a distorted picture of procurement activities within the Roads Ministry.
He explained that the Big Push programme represents only one component of the ministry’s overall infrastructure agenda and should not be used as the sole basis for assessing procurement practices across the entire sector.
According to the report, funding for Big Push projects is sourced from both the Big Push Fund and the Consolidated Fund.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said concentrating exclusively on projects financed through the Big Push Fund fails to reflect the full scope of road infrastructure projects being undertaken by the ministry.
The report concluded that some of the apparent discrepancies in project figures cited by the MFWA may have arisen from differences in the sources of funding being examined.
Why Single-Sourcing Was Used
Addressing concerns over the use of sole-sourcing for some Big Push projects, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the investigation found that the procurement decisions were informed by urgent national considerations rather than any attempt to circumvent procurement regulations.
He explained that the Big Push initiative was conceived as a rapid infrastructure programme designed to address severe road challenges, stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities.
According to the report, the decision to sole-source some projects was guided by the need for accelerated infrastructure delivery, procurement efficiency, fiscal risk mitigation and concerns over worsening road conditions on critical corridors across the country.
The report further noted that alternative procurement methods would have introduced significant delays that could have prolonged hardship for communities dependent on the affected roads.
Given these considerations, the investigation concluded that the use of sole-sourcing on some Big Push projects was consistent with the programme’s objective of fast-tracking critical infrastructure development.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that the report found no evidence that the ministry had acted in disregard of President Mahama’s commitment to fiscal prudence or his pledge to ensure that sole-sourcing remained an exception rather than the norm.
Procurement Laws
The minister further disclosed that all implementing agencies under the Ministry of Roads and Highways obtained approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) Board before employing either sole-sourcing or restricted tendering methods.
According to the report, the Ghana Highway Authority secured approval for 72 Big Push projects, with 51 awarded through sole-sourcing and 21 through restricted tendering.
The Department of Urban Roads obtained approval for 16 projects, comprising 11 sole-sourced contracts and five restricted tenders.
Similarly, the Department of Feeder Roads secured approval for 29 projects, including four sole-sourced contracts and 25 restricted tenders.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the investigation established that the ministry followed all procedures prescribed under the Public Procurement Act.
“The Ministry followed the procedure required by law in awarding the Big Push contracts.
“Neither did they abuse the single-source process in defiance of President John Mahama’s commitment to relegate single sourcing to an exception rather than the norm,” he stated.
The report, therefore, concluded that the Ministry of Roads and Highways did not breach any procurement laws in the execution of the Big Push programme.
Dodo-Pepesu Road Claims
Mr Kwakye Ofosu also addressed allegations relating to the rehabilitation of the Dodo-Pepesu-Nkwanta Road project.
According to the report, claims of inconsistencies in project figures stemmed largely from what investigators described as a typographical error.
The investigation found that the Ministry of Finance approved a commitment authorisation of GH¢684 million for the project, while the actual contract awarded stood at approximately GH¢683.9 million.
The report concluded that any publication indicating a higher figure of about GH¢804 million appeared to be a genuine error rather than evidence of impropriety.
The investigation also examined allegations involving Growth 82 Global Limited, the contractor executing the project.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the report found no evidence to support claims that the omission of the letter “w” in the spelling of the company’s name in some official documents was a deliberate attempt to conceal its identity from public scrutiny.
The report further established that Growth 82 Global Limited was a duly registered and qualified A1B1 contractor and that the project was awarded through restricted tendering rather than sole-sourcing.
Five companies were evaluated during the procurement process before the successful contractor was selected.
Value For Money Concerns
The minister also responded to allegations that some road projects appeared excessively expensive.
He cited the example of the dualisation of the Winneba-Cape Coast Road, where concerns had been raised about the cost per kilometre of certain sections of the project.
According to the report, comparisons based solely on road length were misleading because different project lots involved significantly different scopes of work.
The investigation found that some sections included major engineering components such as grade-separated interchanges, a 1,200-metre viaduct, long-span bridges, service roads and extensive drainage works.
As a result, the report concluded that project costs are influenced by technical complexity, terrain conditions, engineering specifications and infrastructure requirements rather than distance alone.
