The government has defended its use of sole-sourcing in executing major infrastructure projects under the Big Push initiative, describing the approach as necessary to fast-track critical road developments.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, justified the use of sole-sourcing in the award of major road contracts under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, citing urgency and legal backing for the approach.
His remarks come in response to concerns raised by investigative outlet The Fourth Estate over procurement processes, including claims of excessive reliance on sole-sourced contracts and possible cost inflation.
In a detailed statement shared on Facebook, Mr. Gyamfi argued that Ghana’s deteriorating road network poses a significant national security risk, making delays in project execution unacceptable.
“The deplorable state of our roads is one of the biggest national security threats we face as a country. Bad roads have claimed many lives through fatal road accidents and armed robbery,” he stated.
He explained that preliminary processes such as surveying, designing and costing of the projects already took several months, warning that adopting the conventional competitive tendering process could have further delayed implementation.
“Resorting to the National Competitive Tendering process would have taken additional months before these critical projects could even commence, potentially pushing completion timelines beyond 2028,” he noted.
Mr. Gyamfi maintained that the decision to adopt sole-sourcing was consistent with Ghana’s procurement laws, particularly provisions that allow the method under urgent circumstances with approval from the Public Procurement Authority.
“Section 40 of the Public Procurement Law provides for single-source procurement on grounds of urgency, subject to approval by the Public Procurement Authority. Thus, sole sourcing is lawful,” he explained.
Addressing allegations of wrongdoing, he insisted that there is no evidence to support claims of inflated contract values or abuse of the process. “There is not a scintilla of evidence that the use of sole sourcing for the Big Push projects was unjustified or that there were any breaches of the law,” he said.
He further clarified that all contracts awarded under the programme were approved by the appropriate authorities and subjected to value-for-money assessments, with payments tied strictly to verified work done.
“All contracts received prior approval and were awarded to competent and experienced contractors. Payments are based on actual work done and certified by independent consultants,” he added.
Mr. Gyamfi also pushed back against claims that the current administration had awarded all the projects in question, noting that a portion of them were inherited from the previous government.
“As a matter of fact, 23 out of the 84 projects were inherited and not newly awarded. These projects were simply continued under the Big Push programme with funding provided,” he clarified.
He rejected suggestions that the use of sole-sourcing contradicts the National Democratic Congress’ past position, stating that the party had always opposed only the unjustified use of the method.
“In opposition, we never said sole-sourcing was unlawful. We only spoke against its abuse. In this case, it has been justified and properly applied,” he stressed.
Mr. Gyamfi concluded that the government’s approach strikes a balance between urgency and accountability, ensuring that critical infrastructure is delivered within reasonable timelines without compromising due process.
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