Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu says increases in contract sums under the Big Push road programme stem from legal changes in contract structure and funding arrangements, not inflated pricing.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints on Saturday, April 5, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu explained that several road contracts had to be novated after their original financing sources collapsed following Ghana’s debt default. Novation, he clarified, involves altering the terms of an existing contract, which in turn requires revising the payment framework.
“When we speak of novation, it simply means that the contract is changed,” he said. He added that once funding shifted from external sources to the Government of Ghana (GoG), all associated payment terms had to be renegotiated accordingly.
The minister also acknowledged that the actual scope of work changed in some cases, which further contributed to revised contract values. “In some of the cases the contract has been novated but the scope has changed and therefore the sum will normally change,” he said.
Kwakye Ofosu pushed back against suggestions that the higher figures indicate corruption or deliberate overpricing, saying the adjustments reflect practical realities in managing inherited agreements under changed financial conditions.
The remarks follow a report by The Fourth Estate, the investigative platform of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which raised questions about sole sourcing and cost movements within the Big Push programme. The Ministry of Roads and Highways has not issued an independent written statement on the specific contracts flagged in the report.
