The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has directed engineers supervising government road projects to prioritise professional standards over political considerations when dealing with contractors.
Mr Agbodza said engineers must be prepared to take action against contractors who fail to meet contractual requirements, regardless of their perceived connections to government officials.
He said no contractor should be allowed to compromise the quality, timelines or specifications of a government-funded project because of political or personal relationships.
Speaking to Citi News, the Minister said engineers should not feel threatened by the possibility that a contractor could have access to senior political figures.
“There was a culture where maybe engineers felt that contractor A is a friend of the minister or the president. If I go hard on him or her, they will report me and something will happen to me,” he said.
Mr Agbodza urged engineers to exercise their professional judgement and hold contractors accountable whenever project standards were not met.
He stressed that political connections should not provide any contractor with protection from professional scrutiny or enforcement.
“So they should exercise the courage to deal with them. Even if my mother is a contractor, you are overseeing. Deal with him or her in the way that is within your professional view,” he stated.
According to the Minister, neither his relationship with a contractor nor that of the President should be interpreted as permission to violate contractual obligations or delay projects.
“I don’t think there is any contractor closer to me or the president or anybody who has got the licence to do the wrong thing or delay any project,” he said.
Mr Agbodza’s comments place professional supervision at the centre of efforts to improve the delivery of government road projects, with engineers expected to ensure contractors comply with agreed specifications and timelines.
He said engineers must therefore remain independent in carrying out their duties and take appropriate action whenever contractors fall short of their obligations.
The Minister’s position is that effective enforcement at the project supervision level is essential to ensuring that public infrastructure is delivered to the required quality and within the agreed timelines.
