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Vincent Ekow Asafuah accuses government of breaching financial laws over road projects
Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Asafuah, has accused the government of acting unlawfully in granting multi-year expenditure approval for road projects without parliamentary authorization.
In a statement titled “Government of Illegality, Thievery and Hypocrisy,” the legislator described the move as a clear violation of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act and the 1992 Constitution.
Mr Asafuah alleged that the Ministry of Finance has given approval to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to commit over GH¢50.9 billion for the “Big Push” programme over a three-year period from 2025 to 2027 without the necessary approval from Parliament.
He explained that although Parliament approved GH¢13 billion for the Big Push Project in the 2025 budget, the Finance Ministry went ahead to approve additional spending commitments for the next two years, an act he described as “blatant illegality.”
Quoting Section 33 of the Public Financial Management Act, the MP stressed that no government entity is allowed to enter into financial commitments that bind the state for more than one fiscal year without parliamentary authorization.
“This government’s quest to perpetuate illegality has reached a crescendo. The Ministry of Finance has acted in breach of both the PFM Act and Article 181 of the Constitution” Mr Asafuah stated.
He further warned that the move could worsen Ghana’s fiscal situation, noting that the government had already struggled to raise enough revenue to fund its projects.
“Given that only GH¢7.6 billion has been approved for 2025 against a GH¢13 billion budget, this government will most definitely accumulate arrears running into billions,” he said.
Mr Asafuah questioned the cost of certain road projects under the Big Push programme, citing the 71-kilometre Enchi–Elubo road, which he said would cost taxpayers about GH¢1.5 billion.
According to him, this translates to about US$1.7 million per kilometre, which he described as “excessive and unjustifiable.”
He accused the government of hypocrisy, comparing the current cost of road construction to what the ruling party previously criticized under the former administration.
“The same people who condemned the NPP for building a kilometre of road at one million dollars are now doing it for 1.7 million dollars. What kind of integrity is this?” he questioned.
Mr Asafuah called on the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and civil society organizations to take note of what he described as “reckless financial conduct” by the government.
He urged Parliament to assert its oversight authority and prevent further breaches of the law in public financial management.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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