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Sammy Gyamfi defends sole sourcing of road projects, cites urgency
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The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GoldBod Ghana, Sammy Gyamfi, has defended the use of sole sourcing in the award of major road projects, describing it as lawful and necessary under urgent circumstances.
His comments follow concerns raised in a publication by the The Fourth Estate over the procurement processes used for the government’s Big Push road projects.
Mr Gyamfi in a post on Facebook explained that the poor state of roads in the country poses a serious national security risk, noting that bad roads have contributed to fatal accidents and criminal activities such as armed robbery.
He indicated that preliminary processes for the projects, including surveying, designing and costing, took about seven months to complete.
According to him, using the national competitive tendering process would have caused further delays, potentially pushing completion dates beyond 2028.
He added that competitive tendering processes can take several months, citing the ongoing road toll project procurement, which he noted has lasted nearly a year due to its complexity.
Mr Gyamfi stressed that Ghana’s procurement law allows for sole sourcing under specific conditions such as urgency, subject to approval by the Public Procurement Authority.
He explained that the law does not prohibit sole sourcing but rather frowns on its unjustified use.
He argued that there is no evidence to support claims that the sole sourcing of the Big Push road projects was unlawful or led to inflated costs.
According to him, all the projects awarded through sole sourcing received prior approval from the Public Procurement Authority and were justified on grounds of urgency.
He further stated that value for money audits were conducted and that contracts were awarded to multiple competent contractors with the capacity to complete the projects on time.
Mr Gyamfi noted that payments for the projects are based on actual work done and certified by independent consultants.
He clarified that 23 out of the 84 projects under the Big Push initiative were inherited from the previous New Patriotic Party administration and were originally awarded through sole sourcing.
According to him, the current government only continued those projects by maintaining the contractors and providing funding, rather than re awarding them.
Mr Gyamfi accused the Fourth Estate of including those inherited projects in its list of sole sourced contracts attributed to the current administration, describing the approach as misleading.
He maintained that the party has always opposed the abuse of sole sourcing and not the practice itself, insisting that the current use of the method is justified.
Mr Gyamfi questioned the criticism, arguing that comparing the present situation to past concerns about sole sourcing is misplaced.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced plans to introduce a new Bill to strengthen the legal framework for the discipline of lawyers in Ghana.
In an address read on his behalf by the Deputy Attorney-General at the opening of the 2026 Conference of the Ghana Bar Association, Dr. Ayine disclosed that the Bill is headed to Cabinet for review and approval before being laid before Parliament.
The proposed law, to be called the Legal Profession (Practitioners Standards Board) Bill, is expected to transform and strengthen the regulatory framework for disciplining lawyers to safeguard the rights of practitioners and promote public confidence in the profession.
According to the Attorney-General, when passed, the Bill will establish an independent Disciplinary Committee with clear rules of procedure and proposals on proportionate sanctions.
He explained that this marks a progressive departure from the existing framework where the Disciplinary Committee both investigates and adjudicates complaints. The Bill also proposes clear and strict procedural timelines for resolving grievances to avert prolonged deliberations that frustrate both clients and lawyers.
Secondly, Dr. Ayine noted that under the current framework, Superior Court judges sit on the Disciplinary Committee whose decisions, as quasi-judicial decisions, are subject to reviews and appeals in the same courts where these judges preside.
The new Bill seeks to eliminate this conflict of interest by creating a separately constituted Board composed of lay non-lawyers and professional representatives with guaranteed tenure.
The Attorney-General added that the Bill seeks to separate professional discipline from executive, judicial or competitive interference to ensure that disciplinary mechanisms are not weaponized against lawyers by clients, the Bench, or the State.
The introduction of the new law forms part of efforts by the Attorney-General to introduce reforms into the legal profession aimed at revolutionizing legal practice and training. It follows the passage of the Legal Education Act, 2026, which is currently at the implementation stage.
News
Gov’t did not approve market near school — Stan Dogbe clears air on Ahafo Ano South market siting
Deputy Chief of Staff, Stan Xoese Dogbe has reacted to a viral video raising concerns about the siting of a market close to a school in the Ahafo Ano South District of the Ashanti Region.
In a post responding to the video, Mr. Dogbe said he has been in contact with the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, who he said is on top of the situation and has long since halted the construction process.
According to him, the decision to designate the said land near the school for the market was not a government decision.
“Once the development was brought to the RCC’s attention, the regional minister immediately asked that the process be stopped,” he stated.
Mr. Dogbe explained that the community currently has no available land space for the construction of the model market, which necessitated their choice of the location near the school.
He noted however that the community has been asked to find another, more suitable piece of land for the project to commence.
“We thank all for the interest in developmental issues in our communities,” he added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
