The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, has defended the government’s use of sole sourcing for critical road projects under the Big Push initiative, rejecting allegations of abuse and inflated costs.
His response follows concerns raised in a publication by The Fourth Estate, which questioned procurement processes under the Big Push Agenda, including the use of sole sourcing and the potential for cost inflation.
The outlet further alleged that the Minister for Roads, Governs Kwame Agbodza, oversaw the award of 81 sole-sourced contracts valued at more than GHS73 billion within a seven-month period.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Gyamfi insisted there was “not a scintilla of evidence” to support claims of wrongdoing. He maintained that all contracts awarded through sole sourcing were lawful and properly approved.
According to him, every Big Push road contract granted under sole sourcing received clearance from the Public Procurement Authority and was subjected to Value for Money audits, which found no irregularities.
“The urgency of these projects cannot be denied. All contracts were awarded to multiple competent and experienced contractors, and payments are strictly based on actual work certified by independent consultants,” he stated.
Gyamfi also addressed what he described as misconceptions in media reports, particularly claims that the current administration had excessively relied on sole sourcing. He explained that some reports mistakenly included 23 inherited road projects originally awarded under the New Patriotic Party administration as part of the current government’s contracts.
“These projects, including Suame Interchange, Ofankor-Nsawam, and Adenta-Dodowa, were not re-awarded but simply novated and funded under the Big Push programme. The Fourth Estate could have reported this more accurately,” he said.
He further noted that while the National Democratic Congress had previously criticised what it described as unjustified sole-sourcing practices, it had never argued that all sole sourcing was inherently unlawful.
“In the case of the Big Push projects, sole-sourcing was fully justified due to urgency, and there is no evidence of inflation or abuse,” Gyamfi added.
Highlighting procurement timelines, the CEO argued that traditional competitive tendering processes could significantly delay infrastructure delivery, potentially pushing project completion beyond 2028. He cited the Road Toll project as an example, where competitive tendering reportedly took over a year due to procedural complexities.
The statement reinforces the government’s position that urgent infrastructure projects can be executed legally and transparently through sole sourcing, ensuring timely delivery while maintaining accountability.
