Transparency has become a central issue in Ghana’s political and governance discourse, with the spotlight now turning to the Ministry of Transport over its refusal to disclose details of a high-value contract.
Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, raised concerns that President John Mahama’s much-publicized reset agenda could falter if government institutions fail to uphold principles of accountability.
Sulemana acknowledged that the reset agenda—the president’s blueprint for institutional reform and good governance—has made a promising start.
However, he warned that its long-term success depends on how state officials and appointees embrace transparency, especially regarding how public funds are used.
“Official records seen by The Fourth Estate indicate that from January to September 2022, the Ministry of Transport paid a company an amount that translates into GHC 340,000 per day for a so-called disinfection of airports and aviation facilities.”
Sulemana Braimah
The scale and nature of these payments, he suggested, demand public scrutiny and raise serious questions about procurement standards and value for money.
In pursuit of transparency, The Fourth Estate submitted a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Ministry of Transport, asking for the full contract governing the disinfection services.
Despite the legal provisions of the RTI Act, the Ministry has declined to release the contract. Letters signed on behalf of the Minister justified the decision by citing “commercially sensitive information” and concerns that disclosure would “prejudice the competitive positions” of the parties involved, especially the beneficiary company.
Sulemana questioned the basis of this refusal, emphasizing that contracts involving public funds should not be shrouded in secrecy.
He recalled that the same Ministry was at the center of the infamous bus branding scandal several years ago, during which public outrage ultimately led to the forced disclosure of contract details—even before the RTI law was enacted.
He expressed disappointment that, despite the passage of the RTI Act, which was intended to improve openness in public administration, resistance to transparency remains a persistent obstacle.
According to him, the very spirit of President Mahama’s agenda demands that public institutions lead by example, not retreat into confidentiality clauses when asked to account for their spending.
He maintained that withholding such information would likely provoke a prolonged legal and civic battle, one that transparency advocates like The Fourth Estate are prepared to engage in fully.
The public, he emphasized, has a right to understand the financial justifications behind state contracts and how their taxes are being utilized.
The issue also touches on the broader context of public procurement in Ghana, where concerns about inflated pricing, sole-sourcing, and lack of competition have long plagued the system.
Contracts involving massive daily payouts, such as the disinfection agreement in question, amplify these concerns—particularly when shrouded in official silence.
Lack of Transparency Threatens Credibility Of Reform Agenda
At the heart of Sulemana Braimah’s argument is the assertion that transparency is not an optional extra but a foundational element of reform.
Without it, the reset agenda risks becoming a rhetorical exercise rather than a transformative policy direction. The refusal by a key Ministry to release contract documents undermines the credibility of ongoing efforts to restore public faith in government processes.
He reiterated that transparency advocates are not calling for state secrets to be exposed, but rather for basic accountability in how public funds are contracted and disbursed.
Commercial sensitivity, in his view, should not override the public’s right to know—particularly when significant sums are involved and when precedent already exists for disclosure in similar circumstances.
“I truly hope the Minister for Transport will reconsider his decision to avoid what is certainly going to be a long tussle because we aren’t going to give up on this. The public must know the basis on which their funds were spent.”
Sulemana Braimah
The battle over this particular contract, he said, will not be abandoned. Civil society, media organizations, and engaged citizens are committed to pushing back against institutional opacity.
Sulemana’s comments serve as a warning that unless public institutions embrace transparency, even the most well-intentioned reform agendas will falter under the weight of suspicion and public skepticism.
Ultimately, the challenge facing President Mahama’s reset agenda is not just to articulate change but to ensure that every Ministry, agency, and official lives by the principles that underlie it.
Meanwhile, the public will be watching to see whether this push for transparency becomes a sustained shift in governance or another missed opportunity in the fight against secrecy and mismanagement.
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