The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has refuted claims made by the Fourth Estate in its publication that the “Big Push” infrastructure programme relies heavily on sole sourcing.
He insisted that less than half of the contracts were awarded through that method.
The minister made the remarks while addressing Parliament on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
He revealed that only 44 per cent of the major contracts under the initiative were sole-sourced, contrary to reports by the Fourth Estate.
“Let me be very clear: only 44 per cent of all major contracts under the Big Push initiative were awarded through sole sourcing. This is far from the claim that the ministry relies heavily on this method.”
He also revealed that the ministry adopted a mix of procurement approaches, all in line with the law, to respond to the urgency and national importance of critical road projects.
He told the House that some ongoing works were extensions of previously competitively procured contracts.
This he explained was done to accelerate project completion and avoid delays associated with restarting procurement processes.
He further indicated that 23 road projects were undertaken through sole-sourced contracts at a total cost of GH¢14.8 billion, noting that such decisions were justified by the need for timely delivery.
Mr Agbodza added that competitive procurement remains a key pillar of the ministry’s operations, disclosing that “over 400 contracts have been awarded through open competitive bidding”—a figure he described as unprecedented.
In his view, it would be misleading for anyone to conclude that the Ministry of Roads and Highways predominantly uses sole sourcing, especially when the data shows significant reliance on competitive processes.
