The Minister for Roads and Highways, **Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza**, has directed Regional Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to immediately report contractors who abandon or unduly delay government road projects, warning that silence only prolongs infrastructure challenges.
Speaking during an inspection tour of ongoing road projects in the Oti Region, the Minister expressed concern that several stalled projects had not been formally brought to the attention of his ministry, despite the apparent lack of progress on site.
Mr. Agbodza questioned why local authorities had failed to escalate the matter, insisting that contractors who fail to honour their contractual obligations should not be shielded from scrutiny.
“I do not understand why you would sit quietly when contractors are not working instead of bringing the matter to my attention. Why should anyone be afraid of offending a contractor?” he asked.
He stressed that government awards road contracts with the expectation that projects will be completed within agreed timelines and according to approved specifications.
According to the Minister, contractors who abandon project sites, fail to mobilise resources or delay work without valid justification must be reported promptly so that the Ministry can take appropriate contractual and administrative action.
Mr. Agbodza warned that failure by regional and district authorities to report such cases undermines government’s efforts to improve road infrastructure and delays the delivery of essential services to communities that depend on the projects.
He therefore called on Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, as well as engineers and other technical officers, to intensify supervision of road projects and maintain constant communication with the Ministry whenever implementation challenges arise.
The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring value for money in road infrastructure investments and assured the public that contractors who fail to meet their obligations would be held accountable under the terms of their contracts.
The inspection formed part of his nationwide monitoring exercise aimed at evaluating the progress of government-funded road projects, identifying implementation bottlenecks and ensuring timely completion of critical infrastructure.
Responding to the Minister’s concerns, Oti Regional Minister **Mr. John Kwadwo Gyapong** acknowledged the frustrations surrounding some delayed projects, explaining that contractors had repeatedly assured the Regional Coordinating Council that heavy construction equipment was “on the sea” and would soon arrive.
He cited the **Nkwanta–Oti–Damanko road project**, being executed by **China Jiangxi Engineering Ghana Ltd**, as an example, noting that the promised equipment had yet to arrive despite repeated assurances from the contractor.
