By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Jan 31, GNA – The Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to revisit and renegotiate the terms of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP).
Mr Ablakwa’s call comes after he raised concerns during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday over the inflation of the project, allegedly by more than $100 million.
The DRIP, launched in August 2024 by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Administration, aimed to enhance road maintenance and construction across all districts.
It is also to bolster the capacity of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) by equipping them with state-of-the-art machinery and providing essential technical training to local authorities.
Mr Ablakwa argued that despite the project’s noble objectives, its financial execution had allegedly been riddled with inefficiencies, potentially costing Ghana the much-needed resources.
Only 25 per cent of the total project cost had been paid, leaving substantial room for renegotiation, he said.
” … Mr Chairman, fortunately, only 25 per cent has been paid and not all the liabilities have been met, so I have encouraged the new Mahama Administration to renegotiate the DRIP so that we can save money because my conservative estimate is that it has been inflated by more than $100 million,” he stated.
The minister-designate emphasised the need for the Government, led by President Mahama, to act decisively in addressing the issue to safeguard public funds.
Mr Ablakwa highlighted the potential impact of recovering the “inflated funds,” which could be redirected to other critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and social intervention programmes.
The DRIP has been marred by controversy, with Mr Ablakwa uncovering an alleged $102 million inflation in the contract, which was awarded to J.A. Plantpool, a subsidiary of the Zoomlion conglomerate.
The contract was not awarded through a competitive process, but rather through a single-sourced deal, he said.
Mr Ablakwa’s call for renegotiation comes as Ghana struggles with economic challenges, including an IMF bailout.
He expressed the belief that recovering the “inflated funds” could make a significant difference in addressing the country’s economic challenges.
GNA