Roads Minister Agbodza Defends “Big Push” Procurement, Stating Only 44% of Contracts Were Sole-Sourced

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has refuted claims that the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure program heavily relies on sole-sourcing.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, March 24, he clarified that less than half of the contracts awarded under the initiative were sole-sourced, contradicting reports from an online portal.

“Let me be very clear: only 44 percent of all major contracts under the Big Push initiative were awarded through sole sourcing.

This is far from the claim that the Ministry relies heavily on this method,” stated Mr. Agbodza. He emphasized that the ministry employed a mix of legally compliant procurement methods to address the urgency and national significance of critical road projects.

According to the Minister, some ongoing works were extensions of contracts previously awarded through competitive bidding, a strategy designed to expedite project completion and prevent delays associated with new procurement processes.

Mr. Agbodza further revealed that 23 road projects were undertaken via sole-sourced contracts, totaling GH¢14.8 billion, with these decisions justified by the need for timely delivery.

Conversely, he asserted that competitive procurement remains a cornerstone of the ministry’s operations, disclosing that “over 400 contracts have been awarded through open competitive bidding,” a figure he described as unprecedented.

He argued that concluding the Ministry of Roads and Highways predominantly uses sole sourcing would be misleading, given the substantial reliance on competitive processes.

This clarification follows increased public scrutiny of procurement practices, with the minority in Parliament criticizing the government for alleged a lack of transparency in the “Big Push” project. Lawmakers have called for full disclosure