The Minority Caucus in Parliament has refuted claims made by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, over the Tamale-Walewale Road Project, accusing him of misleading the public.
“Minister alleges that only 1% of work has been completed since 2022 despite an advance payment of USD 30 million to the contractor, and claims to be pursuing a refund of the said amount. We find these comments to be not only misleading, but also politically calculated to distort facts and misinform the public engaging in political grandstanding” they stated
In a press statement yesterday, the Caucus described the Minister’s assertion that only 1% of work had been completed since 2022 despite a $30 million advance payment as intellectually dishonest and misleading.
“The Minister knows better; He was once the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee. It is regrettable that someone with his experience would knowingly peddle inaccuracies about a project he understands in full detail” the statement read
The Minority clarified that the contract for the Savelugu Walewale section of the road covering Kilometres 30 to 113 was awarded on March 17, 2020, under a Design and Build EPC framework financed by a credit facility from the EXIM Bank of India.
According to the statement, the contract became effective in December 2021, with physical commencement beginning in June 2022.
They emphasized that the $29.65 million advance payment was made in line with international construction standards, specifically under the FIDIC Yellow Book framework, and was strictly for mobilisation, not physical works.
“The funds were used to mobilize personnel, establish asphalt and material testing plants, set up site offices, and carry out essential preliminary works. The advance was backed by a bank guarantee, as required by the contract,” the Caucus noted.
The Minority further explained that the suspension of Ghana’s external debt repayments in December 2022 triggered EXIM Bank of India to halt further disbursements, leading the contractor to terminate the project due to lack of funding.
“This wasn’t mismanagement. It was a direct result of a sovereign debt decision by the Government, The Ghana Highway Authority has since activated the recovery mechanism through the Advance Payment Guarantee, now a matter of legal proceedings in India, being supervised by the Attorney-General’s Department” the statement explained.
The Caucus called on the Minister to prioritize ongoing infrastructure needs over political posturing.
“If the Minister is genuinely interested in a refund, he’s merely continuing a recovery process initiated long before his tenure. What we need now is leadership focused on completing stalled road projects not media populism,” the Minority indicated
The Minority affirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of public procurement and infrastructure delivery.
“We will not sit idly by while the truth is sacrificed on the altar of political spin. Ghanaians deserve transparency, not propaganda,” they stated.