The Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Suhuyini, has described the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme as the most far-reaching effort to address Ghana’s road challenges.
He made the remarks on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, 28 March.
Reflecting on the country’s infrastructure deficits, the Tamale North MP said, “It is not lost on anyone that this is the single biggest intervention that a government has ever taken to address very deplorable roads, and it is so sad that over 60 years of independence, we can’t boast of any first-class road link to any of our major cities in this country. In fact, none of our major cities is linked to any good roads.”
He maintained that the initiative is designed to tackle long-standing connectivity gaps, improve inter-city transport, and support economic activity, particularly in underserved regions.
The comments come in the wake of a report by The Fourth Estate, a project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which raised concerns over procurement practices under the programme, citing extensive use of sole sourcing and potential cost inflation.
According to the report, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, oversaw 81 sole-sourced contracts valued at over GH¢73 billion within seven months. However, the Minister has rejected these claims, stating that only 44% of major contracts under the Big Push were awarded through sole sourcing.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com