Several communities in the Eastern and Northern Regions are counting their losses as oil-funded infrastructure projects meant to improve their livelihoods face delays, poor supervision, and in some cases, outright abandonment.
This came to light after the Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC) undertook a nationwide inspection exercise between June 22 and June 27, 2025, to assess the use of petroleum revenues under the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), 2011 (Act 815).
In the Northern Region’s Yendi Municipality, residents told PIAC officials that the incomplete Gamandze-Paansiya Link Road has worsened flooding in their area. Although official records indicated the project received GH¢993,000 between 2019 and 2023 for gravel surfacing and culverts, only basic earthworks had been done.
“We suffer during the rainy season. The water cuts us off and we fear for our children’s safety,” one resident lamented.
Similarly, the Yendi-Saboba Road, which had received GH¢4.46 million from the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) between 2022 and 2023, has deteriorated into a pothole-ridden stretch. Locals at Wambu revealed that contractors abandoned the site as far back as 2019.
In the Mion District, dam projects intended to provide irrigation and potable water have instead become sources of frustration. The Nanvili and Sakoya dams, which together received GH¢6.26 million in 2019, were found to have structural defects and weak embankments. In Sakoya, erosion has left the dam unable to retain water during the dry season.
“The water is supposed to serve our farms, but it cannot hold. We are left helpless,” a farmer shared.
Residents of Sambu further claimed their community dam, built by locals over 50 years ago, had only been superficially refurbished under the ABFA-funded project. They now endure flooding whenever heavy rains hit.
In the Eastern Region, PIAC observed similar challenges. The Mensah-Dawa Apimsu-Asesewa Feeder Road, allocated GH¢1 million in 2024, had only concrete drains completed, with no visible road surfacing and no contractor on site. Commuters continue to battle rough terrain daily.
At the Asuogyaman District, however, the Kwanyako CHPS Compound stood out as a success story. Completed with GH¢2.6 million between 2020 and 2023, it is now operational, with staff accommodation ready for use.
But not all outcomes were positive. A rural market project in the Upper Manya Krobo District, funded with GH¢169,516.27, lacked a promised mechanised borehole, while algae and leakages raised health risks for traders still using the facility.
PIAC, in its statement, reaffirmed its commitment to holding government and contractors accountable. “We will continue to monitor the use and impact of petroleum revenues to ensure they benefit the people of Ghana,” the Committee stressed.
For many of the affected communities, however, the immediate concern is not just accountability but survival — as incomplete roads, failed dams, and unsafe markets continue to disrupt daily life.
