Minority Slams Gov’t for rebranding old road projects in mid-year budget
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a strong statement criticizing the government’s 2025 Mid-Year Budget road infrastructure plan, describing it as politically biased, misleading, and lacking in strategic direction.
Ranking Member on the Roads and Transportation Committee, Hon. Osei Kennedy Nyarko, said the government’s so-called “Big Push Programme” fails to reflect the country’s real development needs and priorities.
According to the Minority, the road project list is heavily skewed in favour of certain regions while neglecting the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, which together account for over 35% of Ghana’s population and serve as the country’s economic hub. They argue that the neglect of these areas, especially the ongoing rehabilitation of the Accra–Kumasi corridor and the President’s announced six-lane expressway is a serious oversight that undermines economic productivity and national connectivity.
The group also expressed concern over the exclusion of key bypass projects in Osino, Nsawam, Enyeresi, and Konongo, which are designed to reduce congestion on the Accra–Kumasi highway. Other important road interventions such as the Atebubu-Kwame Danso Road and works in Anwia Nkwanta, Kumasi, have also been left out.
In addition, the Minority accused the government of repackaging projects initiated by the previous administration and presenting them as new. Among those cited were the Wa–Han Road, Navrongo–Tumu Road, Sunyani Outer Ring Road, and Tema–Aflao Road. They questioned the government’s transparency, urging it to acknowledge continuity in infrastructure development rather than engaging in what they described as political erasure.
The statement further challenged Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s claim that the Akufo-Addo government took loans for the Ofankor–Nsawam Road and the Suame Interchange but used the funds on “other things.” The Minority described the comment as false and misleading. They clarified that the $750 million Afreximbank facility secured in 2022 was transparently approved by Parliament and specifically structured to finance several major infrastructure projects, including the Ofankor–Nsawam Road, Suame Interchange, Flowerpot Interchange, and critical bypasses along the Accra–Kumasi corridor.
They noted that the facility was disbursed in phases and tied to specific milestones, making it impossible for funds to be arbitrarily diverted. The Minority urged the government to be truthful with Ghanaians and focus on completing these transformative projects instead of distorting facts for political gain.
The Caucus also criticized the overall lack of clarity in the government’s project listings, describing the volume of projects as overly ambitious in light of the country’s current fiscal constraints. They pointed out the absence of clear timelines, cost estimates, and a prioritization framework, suggesting the road plan reads more like a political wish list than a serious national development strategy.
Reacting to claims that 13 projects had been abandoned, the Minority insisted those projects were ongoing and that the delays were due to the current administration’s refusal to release payments to contractors. They suggested the government withheld payments out of fear that doing so would put pressure on the cedi, a move they said has not only stalled development but also increased future costs due to legitimate contractor claims for delayed payments.
The Minority is calling on the government to rebalance its regional allocations, particularly toward high-density economic zones. They also urged prioritization of strategic road projects, especially the Accra–Kumasi–Tamale–Paga corridor, and asked the government to disclose funding sources, timelines, and project statuses to promote transparency and accountability. Finally, they appealed to the government to stop politicizing road development and to embrace continuity in the interest of national progress.
“Let’s speak facts. Let’s be truthful to Ghanaians,” the statement concluded.
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