Anti-corruption campaigner Edem Senanu has urged a deeper interrogation of sole-sourced contracts under the government’s “Big Push” infrastructure programme, insisting that the focus should be on justification rather than percentages.

Mr Senanu's comments follow the revelation by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, who defended the programme in Parliament, stating that less than half of the contracts were awarded through sole sourcing.

Mr Agbodza clarified that only 44 per cent of major contracts under the initiative were sole-sourced, pushing back against claims of widespread reliance on the method.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Tuesday, March 24, Mr Senanu said public discourse should move beyond headline figures and instead interrogate whether each instance of sole sourcing was justified.

“I think sometimes politicians get themselves into trouble when they do not clearly define the parameters within which they are speaking or criticising something,” he said.

He stated that public procurement should, as a matter of principle, prioritise open and competitive tendering processes to ensure transparency and value for money.

• Read also: Only 44% of ‘Big Push’ contracts sole-sourced – Roads Minister clarifies

“It is desirable that most of our procurement is done through open, competitive processes where everyone can see who the best bidder was for a particular project,” he noted.

However, he stressed that the critical issue is not the proportion of contracts awarded through sole sourcing, but whether those decisions can be justified on a case-by-case basis.

“The percentage does not matter. Even if it were 10%, we must ask whether that 10% was justified or whether those contracts could have been awarded through a competitive process,” he argued.

Mr Senanu also raised concerns about the justification that some contracts were sole-sourced due to emergency road conditions, warning that such reasoning could be abused if not properly regulated.

“I think that is a slippery slope. There will always be emergencies, so there must be a clear and agreed process for determining when sole sourcing is appropriate and which contractor is best suited based on competence and track record,” he said.

He added that public criticism of sole sourcing should serve as a warning for authorities to exercise caution, rather than rely on emergency claims as a default justification.

Mr Senanu called for greater scrutiny and transparency in procurement decisions, stressing that each contract must stand up to public accountability regardless of its size or urgency.