The government has defended the procurement processes underpinning its flagship 'Big Push' infrastructure programme, revealing that less than half of the projects executed under the initiative were awarded through sole-source procurement.

According to a 72-page investigative report commissioned by President John Dramani Mahama, only 47.14 per cent of contracts awarded under the 'Big Push' programme were procured through sole-sourcing, contrary to allegations that the initiative was largely driven by non-competitive contract awards.

Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Monday, Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the report was prepared following allegations by The Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) suggesting widespread abuse of the single-source procurement process at the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

He explained that after receiving the report from the MFWA on April 1, 2026, President Mahama directed Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, Dr Valerie Sawyer, to conduct an independent assessment of the claims and determine whether any wrongdoing had occurred.

“The President wanted the allegations thoroughly examined and evidence tested so that any necessary action could be taken based on facts rather than speculation,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu stated.

The review, which included responses from the Ministry of Roads and Highways and its implementing agencies, has since been completed and submitted to the President.

Big Push Under Spotlight

Mr Kwakye Ofosu said one of the central allegations was that the Big Push initiative had become synonymous with sole-source procurement.

However, findings contained in the report painted a different picture.

Out of a total of 140 projects executed under the Big Push initiative, 66 were awarded through sole-source procurement, representing 47.14 per cent of the total.

Another 51 projects were awarded through restrictive tendering, while 23 were legacy projects inherited from the previous administration, having already been awarded through sole-sourcing before being absorbed into the programme.

“Under the Big Push initiative, which is only one component of the total work being done by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, less than half, exactly 47.14 per cent out of the 140 projects, were awarded through the single-sourcing process,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu emphasised.

He noted that the figures undermine suggestions that sole-sourcing was the dominant procurement method under the programme.

Majority of Contracts Competitively Tendered

The report further established that across the entire roads sector, the government awarded 1,441 contracts through various agencies, including the Ghana Highways Authority, the Department of Feeder Roads and the Department of Urban Roads.

Of that number, 1,301 contracts were awarded through open and competitive tendering processes after public advertisement and evaluation.

The figure represents 90.28 per cent of all contracts awarded by the Roads Ministry under the current administration.

By contrast, only 4.58 per cent of the total 1,441 contracts were awarded through sole-source procurement.

“These facts clearly show that sole-sourcing was not the primary procurement mechanism employed by the Ministry of Roads and Highways,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu said.

PPA Approval Obtained

The Government Spokesperson also stressed that all Big Push projects awarded through sole-sourcing or restrictive tendering received prior approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), as required by law.

According to the report, the Ghana Highways Authority obtained approval for 72 Big Push projects, comprising 51 sole-source contracts and 21 restrictive tenders.

The Department of Urban Roads secured approval for 16 projects, of which 11 were sole-sourced and five awarded through restrictive tendering.

The Department of Feeder Roads obtained approval for 29 projects, with four procured through sole-sourcing and 25 through restrictive tendering.

Additionally, 23 projects incorporated into the Big Push programme had already been awarded by the previous administration before being transferred into the initiative.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the evidence demonstrated that procurement decisions were made within the framework of existing procurement laws and regulations.

Report to be Published

In keeping with the government's commitment to transparency, he announced that the full 72-page report would be published to allow the public to scrutinise the findings.

He maintained that the report conclusively showed that allegations portraying the Roads Ministry as a “sole-source factory” could not be supported by the available evidence.

“The facts establish that competitive tendering remained the dominant procurement method, both across the roads sector generally and within the Big Push programme specifically,” he said.

The Big Push initiative is one of the government's flagship infrastructure programmes aimed at accelerating road construction and rehabilitation nationwide to boost economic activity and improve connectivity.