Minister for Roads and Highways Governs Kwame Agbodza says this year’s heavy rains have exposed weaknesses in road construction across Ghana, urging contractors working on the government’s Big Push projects to prioritise proper drainage systems and adhere to engineering standards.
Speaking during an inspection tour of ongoing Big Push road projects in the Volta Region, the minister said roads should be built to withstand normal rainfall and not deteriorate because of poor construction practices.
“The rains this year have exposed the way we used to do things in the past,” he said.
Roads must withstand heavy rains
Mr. Agbodza stressed that rainfall is a natural occurrence and should be factored into every stage of road construction.
He said contractors must ensure drainage systems are properly designed to channel stormwater while maintaining the required standards for earthworks and compaction.
“So we make sure the drains, the sizing of the drains, the compaction—everything is up to standard, so that normal rainfall should not wash away our roads and leave us with excuses simply because it has rained.”
Despite raising concerns, the minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of some of the projects he inspected and said he was confident they would be completed on schedule.
Dwawill project improves after termination warning
Mr Agbodza revealed that the rehabilitation of the Atimpoku–Asikuma Junction road, being executed by Dwawill Limited, had previously faced possible termination because of delays.
According to him, the contractor was given an ultimatum after failing to make satisfactory progress earlier this year.
“This project was one of the projects we threatened to terminate at the beginning of the year because initially they were not working, and we gave them a deadline and told them that we’d terminate.”
He said ministry officials later summoned the contractor and warned that the project would be terminated unless work improved significantly.
The minister said the intervention produced positive results.
“According to the regional director, they have backed up and have gone ahead of schedule. They were supposed to do 30 percent; they have done about 40 percent.”
No excuses for delays
Mr. Agbodza said the ministry’s firm approach should not be seen as favouritism or victimisation but as a commitment to ensuring road projects are completed on time and to the required standard.
“So sometimes when we make the point, it’s not as if we hate or love some contractor more than the other. We just want them to work.”
He praised Dwawill Limited for responding positively to the ministry’s directives and urged other contractors to follow its example.
The minister warned that contractors could no longer justify delays by citing economic conditions.
“Your colleagues are working. We are in the same country. The cost of materials and the cost of labour here are not different from where you are. So your excuses will not wash.”
He added that contractors who continue to underperform risk losing their contracts.
“If we return and you have not reached where we are asking you to reach, there’s always somebody available to continue.”
New policy on contract awards
Mr. Agbodza also announced plans to tighten the award of road contracts under the next phase of the Big Push programme.
He said contractors with unfinished projects would no longer be eligible for new government contracts.
“As we said, in the next phase of Big Push, you can’t be sitting on some jobs and be asking for a new one.”
The minister disclosed that the Roads Ministry is considering making the successful completion and handover of ongoing projects a requirement before contractors can secure additional major contracts.
“In fact, we are even considering that before any contractor gets any major project, we must show that he’s completed and handed over another project within the portfolio.”
He criticised the practice of contractors spreading their resources across multiple projects without making meaningful progress.
“No more contractor binging on a job and then taking it, just touching here and there.”
Mr. Agbodza said the proposed policy is aimed at improving accountability, speeding up project delivery and ensuring value for public funds.
He urged contractors currently working under the Big Push initiative to complete their existing projects before seeking additional government contracts.
