These days, any breaking news on corruption within corporate environment, homes, and even more so governmental institutions rarely leaves one shell-shocked like it would have years ago.
Yes, momentarily, there’s that occasional ‘wow’ after reading the story or hearing the news on corruption, mostly because of the extent of devious undertakings but not necessarily the act of it.
The road to success is certainly always under construction, and then dealing with corruption in the country has become nothing more than a fable for posterity to ingest and glean some lessons where necessary, but never implement it to the letter.
When Prof Stephen Adei, a former Director-General and Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, interview broke the iceberg of corruption inherent in the awarding of contracts for road projects in the Akufo-Addo government, it struck a raw nerve for the government especially.
He said that President Akufo-Addo, should be ashamed of himself if he is aware of the shady deals taking place in his government.
“This road contract would be given to you, provided you put one million upfront, not after you have gotten the money… That now his people demand from you a certain amount before you would be considered for a job. Why? Because when they get it, whether the government pays you or not they have gotten their money.”
Prof Stephen Adei
Following this, the ministry of roads, responding to the allegations noted that it found them surprising, emphasizing that the processes involved in awarding road contracts are characterized by transparency, competitiveness, and adherence to legal procedures.
In light of the alleged criminal nature of these actions, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, made an official request to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
Nonetheless, in a press statement released by a group of road contractors, they clarified that none of them has ever encountered such a demand for an upfront payment of GH¢1 million.
It further underscored that the process is “well known and transparent and consequently makes it very difficult for corrupt practices to prevail in the allocation of road contracts”.
“We have followed with keen interest discussions in the media space in respect of an allegation made by Professor Stephen Adei, a former Rector of GIMPA, to the effect that some contractors make upfront payments of upfront payments of GH¢1 million before the award of road contracts… We wish to state clearly that none of us has had any such experience. Road contracts go through a process until the award is given.”
Road Contractors
Building connections tainted with party colors
The matter of cronyism in the award of contract isn’t also far from the radar as politicians are likely to dole out road-building contracts to people from their own caste and this could affect the quality of infrastructure.
As a matter of fact, political interference could have warranted poorly carried out projects awarded by government to private individuals and other entities.
Although the Ghana Highways will argue that processes from prospects follows guidelines by tendering in contracts for review, beyond the curtain of formality are list of already approved ‘party’ persons with other individuals punctuating the contracts.
In 2020, a release from the COCOBOD revealed that an engineering company with Mr Antwi-Boasiako (popularly known as Chairman Wontumi) as director, registered in early 2018 under the name Hallmark Civil Engineering Limited, was to construct a 23km road in the Western North Region.
The COCOBOD approval letter addressed to the Managing Director of Hallmark Civil Engineering Limited approved the award of contract for the Construction of Dadieso-Akontombra Road (km 4.00-26.30), Awaso-Asawinso (Bibiani) Western North Region to the company.
Terms of the contract included some US$45,199,526.96 for a period of 24 months. With that in mind, the timeline for executing that contract has elapsed yet a pathway leading to the road constructed is yet to be seen, verified and commissioned by government.
Under the burrows of allegations of paying before award of contract is an ironical situation, especially with the mounting debt owed contractors by government.
It is not enough to launch an investigation in this part of the world because most often than not the trail goes cold, or someone gets cold feet in following through with prosecution of culprits.
Despite the fact that the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has expressed its support to the roads ministry’s request for EOCO to investigate the claim, it’s barely enough to excite Ghanaians anymore.
If government doesn’t like the road corrupt officials and institutions are treading, it behooves on it to immediately start paving another one with a pristine clear direction on addressing the canker.
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