Works on the construction of the Odaw River drainage system have been terminated due to poor performance by the contractor, the Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has told Parliament.

He said the drainage system was being implemented under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project

The project, which commenced in July 2024, comprised the construction of a 1.5km box culvert structure from Nima Paloma to the Odaw River.

It was to be executed within a duration of 18 months.

“However, due to poor performance, the contract for that work has been terminated,” the minister said.

Responding to a question on the floor of Parliament, Mr Adjei said at the point of termination, there were still some ongoing works at critical stages, which required immediate completion.

“The ministry, therefore, sought approval from the World Bank to immediately complete those critical works while the repackaging of the project continued.

“These critical works included demolishing the outfall wall of the Odaw channel to prevent sediment buildup and flooding, complete construction of drain downstream to connect to the Odaw channel, and construct drainage section upstream that was stripped and demolished,” he said.

Question

The minister disclosed this when he answered a question by the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, on the timeline for the completion of the reconstruction of the Odaw River drainage system.

The minister told the House that to enable the ministry to re-tender the repackaged works, it required commitment authorisation from the Ministry of Finance to continue the process.

“In the coming days, we will submit to the Ministry of Finance the documents for approval to continue the process,” Mr Adjei said.

The GARID project is being implemented to improve flood risk management and infrastructure in the Greater Accra Region.

Initiated in 2019, it is Ghana’s largest urban resilience programme, funded by a $200 million loan from the World Bank. 

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The project aims to address chronic flooding, waste management, and climate risks in the nation’s capital, specifically targeting low-income, flood-prone areas of the Odaw River Basin.

The project is organised into several components, including flood risk mitigation, solid waste management upgrades and participatory neighbourhood improvements

Review of rent laws

The minister also informed the House that the ministry had initiated a comprehensive review of the existing rent laws to prevent the continuous exploitation of tenants by property owners.

He said the review sought to repeal the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) as amended together with the Rent Control Law 1986, and replace them with a modern, consolidated Rent Act.

“The new legal framework is designed to address the persistent constraints within the current regime, harmonise all related laws governing rental housing, and introduce appropriate incentives to stimulate private sector investment in the rental housing market,” he said.

The proposed legislation, the minister explained, would uphold and strengthen protections for low-income and vulnerable tenants.

“It is structured to guard against abuse, arbitrary rent increases and unfair rental practices, while at the same time ensuring a balanced framework that recognises the legitimate interests of property owners,” he said.

The minister disclosed this when he responded to an urgent question by the Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, who wanted to know what specific measures were being taken by the ministry to regulate the rent regime and prevent the continuous exploitation of tenants by property owners.

The minister said the ministry recognised that the current rent regulatory framework was outdated, having been in existence for 63 years, and did not adequately respond to the realities of Ghana’s evolving housing market.

He said the drafting of the new legislative framework was currently at an advanced stage to be submitted soon to Cabinet for approval and subsequently to Parliament for consideration.

He assured the House that the ministry planned to bring the proposed legislation during the Second Session once Cabinet approved it.

On the question of what had currently been done for tenants, Mr Adjei said the challenges that tenants were having was what the new legislation would seek to address.