President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that he withstood internal pressure to exclude contractors affiliated with the opposition New Patriotic Party from participating in the government’s flagship road programme.
The president emphasised that contract awards under the “Big Push” road initiative would be granted solely based on capacity, rather than political allegiance.
Speaking at the Kwahu Easter Business Forum held at the Kwahu Convention Centre on April 4, 2026, the President noted that some National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters had raised concerns about contractors perceived to be linked to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) securing projects under the programme.
While these concerns acknowledged the technical and financial capabilities of the contractors in question, they advocated for prioritising firms associated with the NDC.
“Don’t they have the capacity to do the job?” President Mahama said he asked.
He added, “They have the equipment. They employ Ghanaians. Anybody who has the capacity to move the project should be given it. For me, it is not about who does the project. The credit is that at the end of my term of office, I was able to repair all those roads.”
“I don’t have political colours when I look at the Ghanaian private sector,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Mahama has described the Big Push initiative as a major national road rehabilitation programme.
The initiative will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of roads across the country.
He also spoke against the continuous victimisation of companies perceived to be owned by politicians who are not affiliated with the ruling party.
“Many companies start, and because Ghana is a democratic country, potentially every eight years there is a changeover in government. Often, if a business is seen to be associated with one party or another, victimisation begins,” he said.
