The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, has issued a strong warning to underperforming contractors under the government’s flagship Big Push infrastructure programme, threatening contract termination, court action, and the reallocation of projects.
The warning follows a working tour of the Bono, Savannah, and Upper West regions, where the Minister observed what he described as slow progress, last-minute mobilisation, and broken assurances across a number of road projects.
He criticised some contractors for taking on government jobs without the intention or capacity to deliver.
Maripoma Construction came under intense scrutiny during the tour, with the Minister openly questioning the company’s commitment and professionalism.
“You packed and came to the site just yesterday because you heard we were coming. The youth are angry, and we will act accordingly if you fail to deliver 20 per cent within two months,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the political implications of failed projects.
“Why should the President suffer abuse for giving you a job that you failed to deliver?” he asked.
When the contractor failed to provide convincing justification for delays, the Minister issued a direct warning.
“No contractor is bigger than government. I will terminate you and we will meet in court.”
Mr Agbodza also expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on the Wenchi-Bole-Wa Highway, a key road linking the Bono and Savannah regions.
“I am not impressed with the speed of work on the Wenchi-Bole-Wa Highway, and we will abrogate if necessary to reward serious contractors,” he said.
He challenged contractors who had initially lobbied for the project but were now falling short.
“You came begging for the contract with assurances that you can do the job. Why are you not doing it as you claimed?” he quizzed.
The Minister further criticised what he described as a culture of delays within the road construction sector.
“When Ghanaian contractors take a job, they know that there is no penalty for not completing on time, so they complete when they complete. But on this Big Push, it is not like that. You have to complete on time, and if we see you working slowly, we will take the job from you,” he warned.
In a notable observation, he said smaller contractors under the programme were, in some cases, performing better than larger firms.
“The small contractors under Big Push are doing better than the big ones. Regardless of who you are, we will abrogate your contract if you fail to deliver,” he stated.
The Savannah Regional Minister also backed the Minister’s stance, revealing that authorities had already intervened to prevent unrest over stalled projects.
“We have been able to beg the youth and stopped three planned demonstrations. We will crack the whip now on any contractor in the Savannah region who fails to deliver,” he said.
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