Every cedi put to good use - Roads Minister assures Ghanaians

Minister for Roads and Highways Kwame Governs Agbodza has strongly defended the use of general items in road contracts, insisting that such provisions are essential for supporting sector agencies and enhancing efficiency in service delivery.

Speaking during an inspection of the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) North East Regional Office on Sunday, May 24, 2026, Mr. Agbodza rejected claims that expenditures drawn from general items are wasteful. The newly inspected office facility was itself constructed using resources generated from these contract provisions.

According to the Minister, despite Ghana’s severe economic challenges between 2022 and 2024, the Roads Ministry still delivered critical infrastructure and essential office projects nationwide.

“I work with people, and I am sure that between 2022 and 2024 accounted for one of the worst economic periods in our country’s history, yet it was within that same period that we built this office,” he noted.

“So how can somebody say it was wasteful then and will still be wasteful now?”

Mr. Agbodza stressed that staff of the Ghana Highways Authority and other agencies under the ministry deserve decent working environments, comparable to their counterparts in other key public institutions.

“The staff of Highways deserve better. Engineers at the agency do critical work just like doctors, nurses, the police, and Bank of Ghana staff,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong with providing decent office accommodation and logistics for them to work.”

He also defended the procurement of operational vehicles, explaining that road sector officials travel extensively across the country to inspect projects and supervise contractors.

“These vehicles are not luxury items. Sometimes, within a short period, we travel over 1,500 to 2,000 kilometres,” he stated.

“The other day, one of our vehicles was involved in an accident while returning from fieldwork. We need these resources to effectively carry out our duties across the country.”

Mr. Agbodza reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to prudent financial management, insisting that every allocation entrusted to the sector is properly utilized.

“We are assuring the public once again that we are not wasteful at the ministry. Every cedi given to us is being put to proper use to improve infrastructure and service delivery,” he said.