President Mahama directs roads minister to respond to Fourth Estate report on sole sourcing

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, to respond to an investigative report on sole sourcing under the Big Push programme.

The report, published by The Fourth Estate, raises concerns about procurement processes related to the award of contracts.

He gave the direction while addressing Civil society organizations at the Jubilee House yesterday.

“Although we have seen snippets of the investigation from the media, I have instructed my office to obtain the full detailed report from the Fourth Estate and to conduct a study of the various allegations presented in the report,” President Mahama stated.

Reacting to the findings, he noted that while sole sourcing is allowed under Ghana’s procurement laws in some cases, open and competitive tendering remains the preferred option.

He explained that competitive bidding helps ensure better pricing and value for money.

“We would all agree that open, transparent tenders are always preferable for achieving competitive pricing and value for money, ” the President added.

He indicated that his office has been instructed to obtain the full report and study the allegations in detail.

President Mahama added that only portions of the investigation have been seen so far, making it necessary to review the complete document.

He further directed the Roads and Highways Ministry to provide a detailed response to the issues raised in the report.

According to him, this will help guide government’s next steps on the matter.

The directive forms part of efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in public procurement processes under the Big Push programme.

By: Jacob Aggrey