The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, says recent revelations by The Fourth Estate on the government’s Big Push initiative mark only the start of a broader investigation.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on March 25, Mr Braimah emphasised that the findings released so far are part of a much larger body of work, raising concerns about transparency, value for money, and consistency with the government’s earlier stance on procurement practices.

“This is just the beginning. Anyone who has keenly followed the work of Fourth Estate knows that before we come out with anything, we have done extensive work and have a strong basis,” he said.

He added that more details will emerge in due course, allowing the public to make its own judgment.

“At the end, Ghanaians will know whether the minister is the one telling the truth or the fourth estate," he stated.

Mr. Braimah’s comments come in response to reactions from government officials, including the minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, and a detailed statement by the chief executive officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, defending the award of some contracts through sole sourcing under the Big Push initiative.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, March 24, the minister described allegations of widespread sole sourcing as misleading and unfounded, stating that only 44 percent of major contracts, including those under the Big Push, were procured through sole sourcing, while over 400 contracts were awarded through open competitive tendering.

Mr. Agbodza explained that the government adopted a mix of procurement methods as permitted by law to respond to the urgent need to fix Ghana’s deteriorating road network, arguing that prolonged procurement processes would have delayed critical projects and increased costs.

However, Mr. Braimah recalled that Mr. Agbodza and Mr. Gyamfi, among other key figures in the current administration, had previously criticised the use of sole sourcing in road contracts while in opposition.

“When they were in opposition, he stated that sole source was one thing the previous NPP government used to cost the state,” he noted.

He further pointed out that President John Dramani Mahama had pledged to eliminate sole sourcing due to its cost implications, reiterating the position during his State of the Nation Addresses, with plans to introduce legislation to ban it entirely.