The Fourth Estate has raised strong doubts about the findings of the Dr. Valerie Sawyerr-led Committee, questioning whether the panel deliberately published false information or was misled during its probe into sole-sourced road contracts under the government’s “Big Push” initiative.
The panel was established by President John Dramani Mahama following a March 2026 exposé by The Fourth Estate, an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). The investigation alleged that the Ministry of Roads and Highways had become a “factory” for sole-sourcing multi-million-cedi contracts to companies lacking adequate capacity, experience, or proper classification.
In its response to the committee’s newly released 72-page report, The Fourth Estate alleges that the presidential panel failed to conduct a rigorous investigation, choosing instead to accept claims from the Roads Ministry as facts while treating documented findings as mere allegations.
Contradictions Over GROWTH 82 Global Limited
Central to the dispute is a GHS 683 million contract awarded to GROWTH 82 Global Limited for the construction of the Dodo Pepeso-Nkwanta road.
The Valerie Sawyerr Committee reported that evidence showed GROWTH 82 was incorporated on August 18, 2020. A swift sequence of update shows an A3B3 certificate in September 2024, an A2B2 rating in March 2025, and full A1B1 standing by August 2025.
Yet records from the Office of the Registrar of Companies tell a very different story.
ORC documents show GROWTH 82 Global Limited was not incorporated until January 21, 2025; a fortnight after the new administration took office.
That timeline raises questions about how a business established in early 2025 could secure official ministry certification months in late 2024?
Questions Over Fast-Track Ratings
Industry experts and ministry guidelines have also cast doubt on how quickly the company climbed the ministry’s ranks. Under Ministry of Roads and Highways rules, gaining an A1B1 rating requires a firm to demonstrate at least five years of major road building experience.
The Fourth Estate also uncovered sharp gaps in workforce numbers for other firms linked to Big Push deals.
Contract files for Build Managers Limited listed just a single employee, yet the Sawyerr report claimed 20 staff were on the books by January 2025.
Similarly, Sanam Ghana Limited’s SSNIT clearance paperwork showed four workers, contrasting with the 25 cited by the committee.
READ ALSO: GBA Calls for Observance of Legal Vacation Rules
Source: Michael Eduah/ATLFMNEWS
