Parliament’s Appointments Committee’s Vetting of Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza on January 20, 2025 (2)

Agbodza: Well, my answer to that, I’ve already provided that as for payment, it is the minister of finance job to find the money, but what I can do to help, and as I stated earlier, is to bring together the stakeholders, contractors and everybody. I am sure if we were to call contractors and sit down with them and say, look, this debt, frankly speaking, the finance minister who is the leader of the house has already stated, if all the taxes we collect is 200 billion, you can’t hand over all that to just one ministry, and if you keep that money on the books, it keeps getting worse.

So, maybe, maybe we need to sit down with all the stakeholders to see where we cut our losses. Do we agree with them? We pay you money. If you owe a bank, we can draw the bank in. After all, did we not see the whole country try to negotiate debt that is owed, even individuals? So, I think that the time has come for us to bring together all players in the road sector to see how we can make this sustainable.

You see, if government keep owing and we are not paying, we are not even a better customer to the contractor. That is why today you call some contractors who want to award them work, they will tell you it’s better to sleep than to take the job, because they take the job and he’s got debt on his head, so we need to make construction attractive business to recruit and give employment to young people, especially those in the technical fields, engineers and everything.

At the moment, that is not happening, so we will sit down with the stakeholders to see, maybe the committee can get involved, as we call the stakeholders, and chart a new path. Surely, this is not sustainable, we can’t continue this way. Thank you.

Kofi Marfo: Mr. Nominee, I want to find out from you. This capping and de-capping have become an issue in Parliament, and you have been an advocate against capping.

Tell me, how are you going to de-cap this particular road fund that has been capped?

Agbodza: Yes, you are right. I’ve been an advocate of de-capping statutory funds, especially road fund. I worked out something. When you see the amount of money collected into the road fund, and the amount of money released to them, and the one that government pays at GOG, it turns out that basically the finance ministry just take part of the road fund and keep it and give it back to them as GOG funds. So, in other words, they don’t actually put in much money of themselves.

I would still continue to advocate for the road fund to be de-capped, because it is better for them to have that money and pay off contractors that they owe, to stop the compounding interest, than to keep on capping, taking away more than 50 percent of their money, and then the problem stays with all of us. So, I’ll continue to advocate for de-capping of road fund.

Kofi Marfo: Mr. Nominee, you were on record as saying that $240 million was used for E-gate. Immigration Service came out to the debunk it stating that they spent $1.7 million. I want to find out, do you still hold on to the $240 million claim, or you agree with Immigration Service?

Agbodza: Thank you very much, my good friend. Actually, I spoke in context, and the rebuttal by Immigration Service, I didn’t see how that is a rebuttal. I see it as even a confirmation of what I said, because in effect, what they have said is that they were talking about a total cost the life cycle cost of the project, which is what, $297 million instead of the $240 million.

So, I was wondering what kind of rebuttal is that, that I allege that you were doing something for $240 million, and you come out to confirm that you were doing it for $297 million. But the difficulty for Ghana Immigration Service is that they probably don’t know what they were doing. Indeed, the few physical E-gates that were planted could cost $1.7 million.

But if government had listened to what I was saying, it wouldn’t have resulted into some of the embarrassment we saw at the airport when the former vice president was trying to commission it. The former vice president. If I were to tell you today that there is not even any contract for the E-gate, there is no contract. So, what the $1.7 million they were talking about, there’s no contract.

And they didn’t know. I’m ranking, I have information. This is a memo from the Ministry of Finance. When I started talking, do you know what they did? This memo is dated 19th March 2024. And what is the memo saying? Re, submission of final proposal on the development of a national border management system. Are you aware that this project is already being implemented by Ghana Civil Aviation Authority?

And the E-gate was supposed to be done for free. Why are we even supposed to pay $1 for something that we are supposed to get for free? So, when you see, when they started backtracking, do you know what they did? They now went and did this memo. And the memo title I’ve given you. And now they said, let me read to you. They said contract value, $147,765,627 million.

Then they said contract duration, 10 years of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority. You have no business carrying out this. And this is a UN Security Council resolution. This is a UN Security Council resolution. It lies with Ghana Airport Company Limited. So, I have not said anything that I need to depart from. But to repeat that, what they were doing was not right. There’s no contract. And it’s no value for money.

Chairman: Honourable Kennedy Osei Nyarko, you want to clarify an issue? What is the clarification?

Osei Nyarko: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just want to make a few clarification. When the Honourable nominee stated that there wasn’t any contract for the E-Gate, I’m surprised. That is the first one. Second, he claimed that same project is being done by Civil Aviation Authority. These are two different projects. The E-Gate started, was started by the World Bank.

They did a few ones and at a point in time, there was no funding. So, after the World Bank project, it was suspended. Now, the Ghana Immigration Service decided to find an innovative means to get the rest to be done. It is not, the cost of the project is not going to be borne by the Government of Ghana. Passengers will be paid. They are going to pay for it. It’s part of the E-Gate. Secondly, the API project.

The Airport Passenger Information project which is being done by Civil Aviation Authority is completely different from what the Immigration Service is doing. So, I just want to put it on record. I don’t know where he got his information from, but I believe some of this thing, we need to put it in the proper context, not to degenerate any kind of controversies at the end.

Chairman: Thank you very much. Our nominee, any comment?

Agbodza: Yes, my good friend is ranking currently and he understands that we both have deep understanding of what’s happening at the airport. As part of UN Security Council resolution, those of us who will travel through some airports, let’s take Singapore, you will notice that when you get to the airport, you don’t meet any immigration officer. You take your passport, place it on the E-Gate and it goes through.

It is only when they have issues with you that they will direct you to a human being. Why? Because you have provided information already to the authorities in Singapore and they’ve checked it and you are okay. So, he’s right. When we talk about this, people think we are talking about initially, immigration said it costs 1.7 million cities. It is an integrated project.

If you read their press release, and I think Graphic published it, they confirmed that, yes, point number five, the E-Gate system alone comprises 15 units of E-Gates with accessories which form part of the border management system being installed at KIA at a cost of 1.7 million dollars.

Then if you go back, point number six, they then go on and say that the 240 million referenced in the circulation, in the article they are referring to me on my social media handle, relates to the whole life cycle cost and the project including the initial implementation would cost 94 million dollars. Who says Ghanaians are not going to pay? If you take tax from Ghanaians on behalf of government, it’s government money. Why is the entity, this particular entity, believe that something that another entity is ready to do for free? And I’m repeating, this E-Gate integrated system is already part of what another entity is doing for free. The records are there.

Go to Ghana Civil Aviation Authority today and find out whether they have started implementing a project which would have provided the E-Gate for free, and come and report to the committee. So, this matter must be settled, and that is why I say that Ghana Immigration Service did not debunk me, they actually confirmed what I have said. I know exactly what I’m saying, and I would even encourage them.

As far as the UN resolution is concerned, US Security Council resolution is concerned, it is the law that we have done for Ghana Civil Aviation Authority that is what is supposed to be used to implement this. Immigration officials are only supposed to play a role. Second, it is also something that Ghanaians should look at. Today, we have over 1,000 immigration officers working at the airport. Can you believe it?

1,000. 1,000 immigration officers at Kotoka alone. Yes. It turns out some people have to go to work once every two weeks. So, what is, I’m not saying immigration officers are not needed, but which country do you go to that before you check in your bag, somebody checks you? After you check in your bag, before you even approach the immigration officer, two more immigration officers look at your passport and give it back to you. Then you go into the booth, then they stamp your passport.

Then when you get out, another immigration officer sees you. Then when you finish and they scan you, somebody is also looking at, which airport do you see this? It makes experience of when we advertise that Ghana is a gateway for tourism and other things, we all have friends who are expatriates. They don’t enjoy this experience. They get treated as if they are… Ghana Immigration Service please work with Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to implement this project. And at all costs, if we can get it for free, don’t even attempt to take $1 from anybody.

Chairman: Thank you very much. It’s now the turn of Honourable Yusif Sulemana.

Yusif Sulemana, MP, Bole-Bamboi: Thank you, Chairman. Mr. Nominee, let me also congratulate you for your nomination. Like others have said, when it comes to your competence, nobody doubts it. My first question relates to concrete roads. In 2017, the former vice president, I’m talking about the defeated presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia promised Ghanaians that he was going to build concrete roads.

And in his opinion, concrete roads are durable, concrete roads are cheaper, and concrete roads are the roads that Ghanaians deserve. You are not there yet, but I believe that you might have interacted with experts or officers of the ministry. Do we have any concrete roads built after their promise was made? And do we intend to go that direction? Thank you.

Agbodza: Thank you very much, Honourable Yusif, for this very important question. I remember the story was linked to the former vice president when he visited one of the roads in Tema. Actually, that project was being executed by a private entity. So, he went there and saw what was going on, and liked it, and said, henceforth, you’re not going to see asphalt, you’re going to see concrete roads everywhere.

The fact is that I am not aware government has constructed any concrete road anywhere. It is also misleading to say concrete roads will be cheaper than asphalt, because the QSs and engineers will tell you the road you see as concrete road is actually a reinforced concrete slab. That is one of the highest levels of concrete with steel in it.

So how is that supposed to be cheaper than the, in fact, you can get anything between 15 to 30 percent depending on the mix of the concrete, as the additional cost over asphalt. So yes, in some cases, if we can, we should build concrete roads. Currently, the only public concrete road of significance is the Accra-Tema motorway, built by President Nkrumah. I’m not aware of any major concrete road project currently ongoing or completed. Thank you.

Annoh-Dompreh: Chairman, just a second. I want to draw my colleague’s attention. He just asked his question. For heaven’s sake, please, leave Dr. Bawumia alone. Leave Dr. Bawumia alone. I’m not going to take it lightly. Any attacks, any attacks, we should leave the man alone.

Chairman: Honourable, Annoh-Dompreh. You are out of order. Hon Sulemana proceed to ask your question.

Yusif Sulemana: Yes, chairman I will do that. Chairman, even though the nominee has already answered a question on abandoned roads, I want to find out. There were some roads that were abandoned for political reasons. For instance, take roads in the Bole-Bamboi constituency. All roads that were started under the NDC administration in 2015-2016 were all abandoned.

As a member of parliament, I asked a question on the floor of parliament as to when those roads were going to be fixed. And I remember very well, my good friend, Honourable Patrick Boamah, interjected and said that what was Mahama doing and he didn’t fix the roads?

What was President Mahama doing and he didn’t fix the roads when he was the president? Today, if we are going to address the issue of abandoned roads, will you consider prioritising those that were abandoned for political reasons to complete them before you look at other roads? That’s my question.

Agbodza: Chairman, for the vivid explanation and very unfortunate situation described by my good colleague, that would be priority number one in terms of completing abandoned road projects.

Chairman: Do you have a follow-up on that? A member has a follow-up. I recognise Patrick Boamah.

Patrick Boamah: Chairman, I was just putting my good friend from Bole-Bamboi on record that he should produce the hansard that said I made those comments on the floor, else those comments ought to be expunged. I’m also referring the chairman to standing order 86 on questions and require of you to do exactly what I’ve requested. Thank you very much.

Chairman: Thank you very much. Yusif, proceed to ask the question without all these sidelined commentaries.

Yusif Sulemana: Mr. chairman, those are the ones that make the question sweet. Mr. nominee, my third question is that one of the major roads in the western corridor starts from Techiman up to Hamile. As I speak to you, the road is in a very deplorable state. Instead of using three or four hours to travel on it, you need a whole day. It’s because it was abandoned for eight good years. Will you prioritise this road when next week you are approved? I know you’ll be approved. Tell me.

Agbodza: Thank you, my very good friend, Honourable Yusif. As long as you say about those projects, that is priority number two.

Yusif Sulemana: I have a follow-up on this. Yes, nominee I said to you that it got deteriorated because of lack of maintenance. So, I want to find out, will you prioritise regular maintenance of roads in this country? Thank you.

Agbodza: Yes, Mr. Chairman, he has asked a very important question. The principle is that you should spend more on maintenance of your existing roads than building new roads. But the records we have in terms of road maintenance, and my colleagues on the road committee can tell, things have gone really bad in the past eight years. In fact, the record of road maintenance we had in 2016 is unmatched till today.

If you check 2023 record, in areas that we do 9,000 kilometres, the NPP government was doing just 3,000. So, they have really let the country down in terms of road maintenance programme. So, I said it in one of my initial responses that we need to commit more to road maintenance.

Sometimes, all you need to do is to spend a little amount of money to address a spot improvement, and the road can still continue to be more trouble. But once you abandon it, it becomes a major problem and makes the use of the road not safe at all. Thank you, Chairman.

Chairman: Thank you very much. Honourable members, in line with order 2177, I will take a question from Jerry Shaibu as a member of the leadership of the house. So, Jerry, you may proceed.

Jerry Ahmed Shaibu, MP, Weija-Gbawe: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I first wish to congratulate honourable Governs Agbodza. My question is, I’ve made some very critical observations, including the road markings, street lights, quality of roads, traffic lights, and I don’t think that my government has been in power since the inception of this country. I have realised that most of these are dysfunctional.

So, from my beloved Mallam to Kasoa, you would realise that no street light is working. When you get on the major road, the motorway, you would also realise that, no street light is working. Most road markings are also not working. In the night, it’s not very safe to drive. You can easily get in an accident. I know your capacity. I know that you want to prevent accidents. You want to have people drive in a very clean, motorable road. I just want to find out, what are your plans to have them resolved? Thank you very much.

Agbodza: Thank you very much, Chairman. I think my colleague has asked a very important question. This is our capital city. It is strange that you drive in parts of our city at night, and the roads are not illuminated well, no road markings. And I know a number of friends from abroad, when they come, they keep asking, how are you able to drive on these roads? Because there’s no signage, there’s nothing.

With street light, this is any issue that has come to the attention of the Road and Transport Committee. If you notice, Ministry of Local Government through Common Fund does supply street lights sometimes. Ministry of Energy does supply street lights sometimes. And sometimes, they supply these street lights and give it to the assemblies and others, and ask them to go and install. Whether those lights are of the highest quality is another question.

Whether they are installed properly is another matter. So, it is a synergy between Ministry of Energy and the local authorities. As for the roads, the physical roads are under the domain of the Road Ministry. The safety on the road is between Ministry of Road and Ministry of Transport, because National Road Safety Authority is under Ministry of Transport. So, I think this issue can best be addressed with a combination of how we take a second look at that.

Whose job is it to supply, install, and maintain street lights in Adaklu? Is it Ministry of Energy or the Adaklu District Assembly? That question has never been answered. But we all see street lights distributed to the assemblies and sometimes through members of parliament. Well, mainly during elections. So, we need to address this. And many people have also complained that some of the street lights that are supplied don’t last. Maybe it is the way it is installed.

Maybe it is something else. So, we’ll address it. But the major things you talked about, including your constituency and the motorway, are of concern. The challenge though is that the motorway is currently under contract. They may have to do some work to understand for us to know where the street lighting will be. Because perhaps if you go and even fix them today, next week, when they are doing clearing, it may be to be in the right way.

It will not be there. So as for the motorway, we may have to provide a temporary situation. By your area, we’ll look at it. When this committee generously recommends me to the plenary and I get approval and go to the ministry, I promise to get it done.

Jerry Shaibu: Mr. Chair, I also heard my very good friend enumerate a lot of problems. One of the major ones is the interest on contracts. And I think I heard you say it’s about 30%. Are you considering redrafting contracts so that the 28 days, which is normally when IPCs are raised and they are supposed to be paid and there is default in payment, that is where now the interest arises?

Are you considering redrafting contracts? And if so, are we also considering making prompt payments to contractors? Because this is where, are you also actually considering having a synergy with maybe some banks so that they can perhaps provide mobilisation and pre-financing of some of these projects, instead of rather getting to pay them as interest? Thank you.

Chairman: Honourable Deputy Whip, are you talking about review of those contracts or redrafting?

Agbodza: Chairman, I think I get what he’s saying. And I know you are one of the experienced lawyers in this house. You know when the contract has taking effect. Any attempt to go and redraft portions of that contract, you can, but you need the agreement of the parties that formed that contract. So, it will be more of the new contracts. I think that is what he’s talking about. But that is not the solution. The solution is prompt payment.

I know that some banks initially took up the responsibility of providing some support to the contractors. Many of those banks have withdrawn since because of this interest matter. Well, I don’t want to mention the banks. Some of them will say, we’ll take you on, but we don’t want to be responsible for the interest between you and government. Like I said, if you see what has happened on the first issue in 2018, that because the delay was on 2,464 days, times 30%, so you can imagine.

So, every 28 days is calculated and added to the other one. So indeed, we have to look at some of the way we write some of these contracts. But until government begins to pay promptly, that would still be very little in terms of achievement and reducing the interest on delay payment.

Chairman: Any further questions?

Jerry Shaibu: Yes, Mr. Chairman, this is just a follow-up. And this is on the basis of the review and the redraft aspect. I’m looking at contracts that you would now, as it were, now construct. So new contracts. As to whether or not you want to review, that’s not within my remits. But I’m looking at contracts that as Minister of Roads, are you considering maintaining the 28 days where when there is a default, you are going to pay interest of 30%? That is the question, please.

Agbodza: Well, thank you very much. You referred to me as Minister of Roads. It is only going to happen when you give it. So, I take it as amen. But it is difficult to just say here without consultation. I said earlier, there will be the need for engagement with stakeholders. That’s Minister of Finance, Attorney General, and then my ministry. We can come up with something that is more humane to the contractor and sustainable to government. So, I’m hoping when approved, I would update the House as to the best way forward with regard to this particular matter.

Jerry Shaibu: Honourable nominee. So, the repeal of Act 540, that established the Ghana Highway Authority. And what you think the National Labour Commission has done to virtually suspend the implementation of the National Roads Authority? What’s your take or your view on that?

Agbodza: It’s now an Act. We have actually passed it. It’s in force. The rationale behind that law is to not collapse the road agencies, but harmonise the way they work, which requires creating a new apex body, led by the Director General. Not much about the law, but it appears implementation has got to a point where there’s a snag. So, there’s a lot of discomfort at the road agencies, highways, feeder road, and urban road. What I can commit to do is to sit down with them and see the best way.

I’m hearing all sorts of things. I have no way of verifying them in terms of who is appointed to be the head, which agency the people are from. It is to be premature for me to make any definitive comment on that, but I know the House has approved it. If it is necessary for us to pause the implementation and take a look at it, I will come to the House and seek your approval. If it requires, let’s go ahead, but make some changes and bring some L.I. to operationalise it, I will do the same thing. But it is premature for me to make any sweeping statements about that at the moment. Thank you.

Chairman: Thank you very much. Your last question.

Jerry Shaibu: Yes, honourable nominee. So, I’ve also cited President Mame’s 120-day social contract. I did not see anything in reference to roads. Does that make it a priority? Is it a matter that you would want to pay a lot of attention to?

Agbodza: Well, Chairman. President Mahama is very clear on his mind as to what is contained in the 120-day commitment he’s made to the people of this country. Indeed, Mr. Chairman, with the kindness of our colleagues from both sides, me being vetted today is also a record of the expeditious way President Mahama promised to form his government. And I want to thank my colleagues from the minority side.

The issues he wanted to put before Ghanaians, he’s placed them before Ghanaians. It is based upon that that he’s been given the unprecedented win in this election. So, if Ghanaians wanted him to add road and every detail, they would have talked about it. Road is a priority to President Mahama, but let’s look at how he delivers on the 120-day commitment, which includes the repeal of some taxes and many other things, which you rightly said.

After that, we can pay attention to other things, but he’s not saying until after the 120 days, we are not going to be dealing with roads. Indeed, this is just a second batch of ministers and the road ministry is part of it. It tells you how much premium he places on the road ministry and other ministries.

The other ones are going to come along the same thing. It doesn’t mean that the ministries that are not here are not premium, but I’m saying that with specific to the road you talked about, he places a lot of emphasis. And you can also attest to the fact that some of the best and biggest interventions on road in this country happened under his leadership. So, he’s got a track record of delivering, and he will deliver.

Chairman: Thank you very much. It’s now the turn of Honourable Rita Odoley Sowah.

Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, MP, La Dadekotopon: Thank you, Honourable Chairman. I wish to congratulate my leader, who has been nominated by his excellency, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, for your nomination. Honourable nominee, talking about roads.

The Accra-Tema Beach Road, which passes through the Dadekotopon constituency, started construction a long time ago, and the contractor has abandoned sites. Due to this, there are quite a number of accidents and pedestrians being knocked down by vehicles, because we do not have street lights to be on during the night. I want to find out from the Honourable leader whether you are going to add this to your priority list to ensure that the La beach road will be constructed in due time to assist pedestrians and motorists who ply the routes.

Agbodza: Yes, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much, and I thank our colleague for the question. I live in Tema, so I know the importance of the beach road as an alternative route into Tema. Indeed, that project was ongoing, and originally part of the China Development Bank 3 billion agreement by may his soul rest in peace, President Mills. Since then, the loan was stopped and restarted under President Akufo-Addo.

Unfortunately, that project is suffering the same fate of many other projects, including Motorway-Adome, Motorway-Central University, and many others. So, indeed, the contractor is not on site. Once again, it is difficult to ask the contractor to go and fix street lights where he hasn’t gotten a stage to do that, but I think there can be safety measures deployed temporarily to make sure it is safe. So, talking to the resident engineer, I think we can discuss how to make it safe for now as we wait for the completion of that particular project. It’s a very important project.

Rita Sowah: Thank you very much, Honourable Chair, and Honourable Leader, I’m glad the NDC administration is bringing back the toll booths operations, and I also want to support my colleague that when operations begin, inasmuch as we want to prevent leakages, the persons with disability who were recruited earlier and dismissed should be reconsidered so that they’ll also be gainfully employed to take care of their families. I want to have your take on that.

Agbodza: Thank you very much. We are bringing tolling of public roads back. We are not bringing toll booths back. As I said, it will be deployed on a platform, which means that there wouldn’t be physical toll booths where drivers will have to stop and pay. So, with regards to the disabled people, sure, we are going to be able to re-engage them. I even said that earlier. We’ll re-engage them and make sure that those of them who are capable of playing a role are brought on board to play a role on this. Thank you.

Rita Sowah: Thank you, Honourable Chair. Honourable Minister nominee, going into the Ministry of Roads and Highways, your colleagues will be knocking at your doors, and I believe we are going to find you when we come there, including myself. I know there are some two doors to your office, and I believe when you are there, you attend to us and open your doors to us. On this note, I want to say congratulations on your nomination. Thank you.

Agbodza: Thank you for giving me an idea of where the doors are. I have not gotten there yet, so I don’t know where the doors are, but surely the door that opens for you to see me, I’m one of you, I will be able to do this together. Thank you.

Chairman: Thank you very much. It’s now the turn of Honourable Patrick Yaw Boamah.

Patrick Yaw Boamah, MP, Okaikoi Central: Thank you very much, Chairman. Let me congratulate my good friend and brother Kwame Agbodza for his nomination. I wish you the very best, Kwame. Kwame, just to inform you that Sunyani, Techiman, Wenchi, Surla, Wa, have all been awarded for rehabilitation, and MessrsMaripoma, Hardwick and Volta… are the contractors. Just to inform you. Thank you.

To my first question. Chairman, every MP from circle that’s Okaikoi South to Paga, if that person doesn’t fly, will either go through the East or through the Central Corridor. The dualization of that stretch began in 2002 under President Kuffuor. Minister Gidisu, at a point, suspended the dualization programme. To the extent that Allotey Jacobs, at the time, after your Congress in Sunyani, raised issues with that suspension. President Akufo-Addo came, he continued from Kwarfokrom, which is in Nsawam-Adoagyiri to Apedwa. I remember in 2009, President Mahama even commissioned the overpass around the Old Peace FM area.

Nine indigenous contractors, Kwame, are undertaking the dualization programme. Osino, Anyinam, up to a point, around your area, Dwaso, that area. We want an assurance from you, whether those projects will be duly completed and the remaining 94 kilometres from Dwasu to Ejisu to Konongo will be tackled. And to continue from where the Suame Interchange is being constructed through Techiman, Kintampo, and Tamale and beyond. That defines our country’s road infrastructure.

And the fact that a similar intervention was made from Rawlings’ time, may his soul rest in peace, Kaneshie to Mallam, Kuffuor continued to Kasoa, to Yammoransa, and to Elubu, under President Mills and President Rawlings. Kwame, those are critical roads that has caused a lot of accidents. And if for any reason, you want to be remembered for, as a good minister, for roads, including, Kpone, to Aflao. You need to remember for these roads. What assurances are you giving to the good people of this country on these critical roads that I’ve mentioned? Thank you.

Agbodza: Thank you very much. I earlier gave the indication that the president himself had committed to completing ongoing projects. You are also right by listing these projects as projects on site. The little challenge is that many of these projects are on the back of GOG. So once the contractors recertificate, they are not paid. In fact, the bypasses on the Accra-Kumasi Road, you can tell that the intensity of the contractors have dwindled significantly. So, it is not merely awarding the project.

It is about finding sustainable sources of funding to deal with them. You will notice that in 2022 or so, you mentioned Suame Interchange. We approved the loan. I was, I probably was the one who seconded the motion for it because it’s a critical intersection in Kumasi. And the way it is creates a problem. Since we approved it, it was supposed to be a project done in 36 months. But you know that the contractor only turned up on site somewhere close to the end of this year, in the last year.

And the percentage of work done on the interchange, guess what? Less than 2%. Terrible. There are two components. The interchange component and the other road network within the area. The other road network within the area is just about seven, less than 10% work done. Also because of the debt restructuring, because it’s a loan, a commercial loan from somewhere.

So as long as we can find the resources, and I indicated earlier, my job is to prepare and package projects and for the finance minister to fund. I would never relent in the advocacy to make sure we have enough money in the kitty to pay contractors working in our communities, including Adaklu. I have no doubt that colleagues have the bigger burden of addressing road issues in their communities than anybody else. And together, once we can find the resources, we can deal with these things together, including the road to Dwaso and everywhere. Thank you.

Patrick Boamah: You love Dwaso. Kwame, I don’t know if you have your party’s manifesto with you. If not, let me turn your attention to chapter four of the NDC 2024 manifesto. Powering growth through infrastructural development, and more particularly to the road sector. You’ve listed a lot of roads and bridges to be constructed under that paragraph. That’s paragraph 4.2.5. Upgrading road transportation systems. A lot of roads. Pages 107 of 200, Rockson, if you care to know.

Pomakoma, Bawku, Bolga, Tumu, Wa, Tamale, Yendi. You’ve listed a lot of roads. Aburi, Nsawam. And to the extent that you are promising to even regularise Okada and what have you. It’s in the manifesto. I’ve seen about 13 bridges, and also a paragraph on road safety. Kwame, given the situation in which you find yourself in, and the facts alluded to, that the indebtedness of the road sector is close to GH¢100 billion.

Which you know that the MTEF had made provision to pay for it over a period, and it’s captured for the 2025 to 28 MTEF programme. How are you going to fund all these ambitious projects? Is it going to be another green book promise, Kwame?

Agbodza: Thank you very much. Chairman, I’m happy. These are very important questions, and I’m happy he mentioned green book. Kumasi Airport phase one and two was mentioned in the green book. In fact, I was there at the meeting in Kumasi when the committee insisted that the phase that came around the time NPP came be added to the phase. Today, the airport is there for all of us, Prempeh International. And it’s to the credit of this committee.

MPS Project at Tema, that is the port project, is in the green book. And that project is one of the most viable income generations entities. How do you call it? The Legon Hospital is in the green book. And it’s one of, it’s the highest end of medical facility in our country. The Ridge Hospital is in the green book and it’s one of the best and many more Circle Interchange, Tamale Airport phase one.

So as for the green book it is a record of achievement and I think maybe unlike the project tracker these ones a bit in colour you can see them in colour. But the significant question you asked how do you fund this. I must be frank and I’ve said it already the finance minister designate was here and he said the revenue is just about 200 billion how do we fund all the things that we needed to fund including salaries of us members of Parliament.

We have to work together to cut waste how do you cut waste the fact that President Mahama is insisting on having only 60 ministers it’s one of the ways to cut waste without a doubt. Nobody would have thought that a president would say 60 and that includes deputy ministers, regional ministers people say he cannot do it he is doing it so he’s a man of his word.

Yes, it’s going to be tough but NDC has got tough people to address the issue I am not promising all these roads that have been awarded. I was very unhappy when we approved the Suame interchange and work never started until somewhere close to the end of last year and as we speak less than 5% of the work done. How could we have done that to somebody who served this house all these years?

I’m talking about honourable Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. We’ve not been fair to him. So yes, we’ll continue that project as long as we find the money and deal with this. So, I agree with you that the list of projects is almost endless and the difficulty is that some of the methods used to procure these projects also ought to be reviewed.

If you have a situation where for instance a project is awarded in Ghana to a Ghanaian contractor on a design and build, he comes up and he goes to site and he later comes to tell us how much you want to charge. Meanwhile you have already contracted and he comes up with even a ridiculous figure you are bound to deal with it. So, we are also committing that so that we can tie the cost down so that we can budget properly and get them done so your question is very important and we shall do exactly that.

Patrick Boamah: My next question. It’s on the VolivoAdafoAdidome bridge I know the Japanese have given us some funding for it and it’s less than the project sum. How are you going to raise money to top up or to get a full funding? Thank you and congratulations again Kwame. I’m done.

Agbodza: I think my colleague asked a very important question this project is very dear to the people who use that corridor. In 2016, I think once again I was on behalf of my then chairman moved the motion for the adoption of this. So, the bridge component was coming from JICA. I think it’s about just about 10 billion yuan or something like that.

The difficulty is that since then for the eight years we didn’t do much because the Japanese insisted, we build the approaches from Asutuare junction to the bridge and from the bridge to Asikuma because the access has to be there for them to come and install the bridge. It is only recent that I’m told AFDB have given the money for the construction of the approaches.

The contractor we are told just mobilised to site so you wouldn’t see much going on. Yes, you are right when they went to tender the bidder who want the tender, the bid is twice what the Japanese have committed to give us. So, it will be important for government to approach Japan to discuss the funding gap to make sure the project works. I am hopeful we can do that thank you.

Chairman: It’s now the turn of honourable Mahama Ayariga. You have the floor.

Mahama Ayariga, MP, Bawku Central: Thank you very much chairman and let me join colleagues to congratulate our chief whip on his nomination to the roads ministry. You gave us an indication of the commitments of the roads ministry and then we have seen very starkly the variation between what we actually got by virtue of the value of projects executed and what we owe by virtue of having not paid and then the debt accumulating based on interest calculated based on a formula that you yourself disagree with in terms of road contracting.

That is evidence of a certain indiscipline which is to award contracts when you haven’t budgeted for them. You haven’t made provision for them in your budget you don’t have money for them and then you award contracts. Is this a culture that will continue?

Agbodza: Thank you chairman. No, this is not a culture that Ghanaians even want us to continue even if we wanted to continue. I can understand why some projects may be awarded in an emergency without full packaging. But the norm should be that projects are properly packaged costed before going to site.

And we have already committed that that will be the norm for major projects. If it’s necessary for us to do quick interventions ie a bridge is collapsing that is a different one. But the norm should be that project should receive best value for money through competitive tendering. Thank you.

Mahama Ayariga: And the second question is when you’re flying into Accra when you’re flying into Kumasi and I think the same for Takoradi you will see that apart from the major roads to the communities in between the residential facilities, I will say 90% of the roads are not done.

And then when you go into an estate go to any estate you find that the estate owner has done all the inner roads of the estates and apportion the cost to property owners in the estates and they are happy to pay and live in very fine estates with all the roads done. So that in the evening they and their families can walk around exercise and then they are happy. Does that give you an indication of some that probably exist for financing those in a road between the residential areas that you could be looking at?

Agbodza: Yes, chairman it’s even associated with even government projects. There are significant hospital projects done in this country commissioned and is in use but the road between the hospital the estate and…(.)

Annoh-Dompreh: … My question would be now that you’ve identified that the way contracts at the ministry are put together poses some danger, going forward and you’re right and you see the way out.

I want to hear from you because I know you have strong professional background in terms of your ability to profess solution. Contracts, what do you think? If you’re going to depart from what is happening how should we go about it?

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