The Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has revealed a significant revelation regarding the controversial E-Gate system at Kotoka International Airport (KIA), stating that there is no formal contract in place for the project.

Mr Agbodza made this disclosure during his vetting by the Appointments Committee in Parliament on Monday, January 20, 2025, sparking concerns about the procurement process and financial aspects surrounding the initiative.

The E-Gate system, which was introduced to modernise operations at Ghana’s premier international airport, has been surrounded by controversy, particularly regarding its cost. Reports suggested that the project was set to cost the government a staggering $240 million. However, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) refuted these claims in a statement issued on December 19, 2024, labelling the alleged cost as inaccurate and disputing the financial details that had been circulated.

Agbodza, who is also the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, provided further clarification on the project’s background, claiming that it was part of the broader modernisation efforts being carried out by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). According to him, the E-Gate was initially intended to be developed as a complimentary feature to the existing systems at KIA, without incurring any additional costs to the government.

The Minister-Designate stressed that the GCAA had already been working on a similar system prior to the introduction of the E-Gate. He stated that the E-Gate was meant to complement the existing infrastructure, with no expectation of a substantial financial outlay from the state. This raises further questions about the legitimacy of the financial claims that have been made surrounding the project.

“There is not even any contract for the E-Gate,” Agbodza stated firmly. “There is no contract for the $1.7 million they were talking about. If the government had listened to what I was saying, it wouldn’t have resulted in some of the embarrassment we saw at the airport when the former Vice President was trying to commission it.” His comments pointed to the confusion and issues that arose when the former Vice President attempted to launch the E-Gate system, despite the lack of formal agreements.

Agbodza continued by explaining that the E-Gate system had initially been designed to be implemented at no cost, as part of ongoing work by the GCAA.

He revealed that when he raised concerns about the project, the authorities swiftly prepared a memo to formalise the initiative.