The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) is said to be in a panic mood following a mind-blowing revelation that the Ministry of Roads and Highways has awarded sole-sourced contracts worth over GH¢73 billion.
The Fourth Estate, a public interest and accountability investigative journalism project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) issued a report on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, indicating that a whopping 81 out of the 107 road contracts worth over GH¢73 billion were awarded through sole-sourcing.
The Executive Director of MFWA, Mr Sulemana Braimah, disclosed that the remaining 26 contracts worth about GH¢8 billion were awarded through selective tendering.
This meant over 90% of the amount of money expected to be spent on roads under the ‘Big Push’ programme so far was given out through sole-sourcing.
The report has sparked widespread public debate about procurement processes surrounding the award of major road contracts, transparency, accountability, and value for money in government spending.
Consequently, President John Dramani announced his office has requested the full report from The Fourth Estate for a comprehensive review of the allegations. He said he has also directed the Ministry of Roads and Highways to provide a detailed response to the report in order to guide the government’s action on the matter.
Speaking at a presidential dialogue with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on 31st March, 2026, President Mahama acknowledged that while sole-sourcing is permitted under the law in specific circumstances, it must not become the default option.
He stressed that open and competitive tendering remains the most reliable way to secure fair pricing and ensure the efficient use of public funds.
It would also be recalled that President Mahama, while in opposition and in government, promised to present legislation to parliament to ban sole-sourcing contracts except in exceptional circumstances.
He has now announced plans to amend the Public Procurement Act (PPA) following the mounting concerns over sole-sourcing contracts linked his government’s Big Push infrastructure programme.
The amendment and other reforms, President Mahama, are intended to promote transparency and guarantee value for money in public expenditure.
These planned amendments, if carried out, would signal a significant policy shift by the government as it seeks to address concerns of inflated costs in award of government contracts, restore public confidence, and strengthen accountability in the management of national infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, President Mahama has tasked the Ministry of Finance with fast-tracking the establishment of the Independent Value for Money Office, which law Parliament recently passed.
This Office, according to him, will conduct rigorous assessments of all sole-sourced contracts to ensure strict compliance with accountability standards.
CSOs to be consulted
President Manama gave the assurance that CSOs will be consulted in shaping the proposed legal reforms.
President Mahama has therefore called on all stakeholders to actively monitor public projects and budget implementation to strengthen social accountability.
The Fourth Estate Exposé
Speaking on JoyNews Television programme, ‘Newsfile’, on Saturday March 28, 2026, the MFWA Boss further gave some chilling revelations about the NDC’s sole-sourced contracts.
He mentioned the rehabilitation of the Dodo Pepesu-Nkwanta road, which has since ignited public debate over rising infrastructure costs and value for money, barely a decade after the project was first completed.
The road was originally constructed in 2016 by a Burkinabe Contractor, Groupe Kanazoe through a competitive international tendering process at a cost of €25.9 million as a European Union funded initiative.
“Fast forward to today, the same road has been awarded for rehabilitation at a cost of GH¢804 million. When converted, this figure exceeds €63 million, almost three times the original construction cost,” Mr Sulemana Braimah observed.
Controversy about the road project
The project was hailed as a significant achievement in road infrastructure when it was first constructed.
President Mahama even described it as “pleasing to the eye,” reflecting its quality and visual appeal upon completion, suggesting that local contractors could learn from the standards applied in such projects.
However, Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, in a documentary, highlighted early signs of deterioration and questioned the quality of work done as experts indicated that the expected lifespan of an asphalted road should be around 30 years.
Other bizarre contract sums
The Fourth Estate also revealed what it described as just a ‘small one’ awarded under even a ‘Restricted Tender’.
According to Mr Sulemana Braimah, the cost of an upgrade of the Apeguso-Mpakadan Feeder Road, signed on November 25, 2025 for surface dressing or locally referred to as “Sapitii”, was mind-blowing.
“Road Length: 9km
Contract Sum: GH¢146,511,649
Cost per KM: GH¢16.27million ($1.47million)
Contractor: Build Managers Ltd.
“What is even mind-blowing is how they arrived at the contract sum. A whopping GH¢37.5million is allocated as ‘Maintenance of Department of Feeder Roads Headquarters.’ Maintenance ooo not construction of a new office. And guess what? This is not the only contract with allocation for Maintenance of the same office,” Mr Sulemana Braimah disclosed.
