Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Roads and Highways Minister, has defended the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, stating that only 44 per cent of major contracts were awarded through sole sourcing.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, Mr. Agbodza emphasized that procurement processes followed legal requirements, with over 400 contracts awarded through open competitive bidding.
“Mr. Speaker, given the scale and importance of these projects, a mix of procurement processes was employed in accordance with the law,” he said.
He added that all projects under the Big Push Agenda were published on the ministry’s website, dismissing claims of a scandal.
Mr. Agbodza’s comments were in response to allegations by The Fourth Estate of widespread sole sourcing and possible cost inflation, including 81 sole-sourced contracts worth over GH¢73 billion within seven months.
The Minister argued that sole sourcing was necessary for urgent projects and that the current government inherited a backlog of abandoned projects.
