Receipts over the sale of Metro Mass Transit buses have dropped online, revealing details of persons who dubiously purchased the vehicles during an auction exercise as Transport Minister Joseph Nikpe Bukari confirmed government has launched an inquiry into transactions involving more than 300 buses allegedly auctioned under the previous administration.
The images show official Metro Mass Transit (MMT) receipts issued to buyers for the sale of unserviceable buses. Some receipts indicate payments of 16,200 cedis and 22,690 cedis, while others list different amounts for buses described in transaction records as no longer fit for operational service.
The documents include names of buyers, dates, fleet numbers, and signatures from MMT officials who processed the transactions. According to the receipts, the payments were made at various MMT stations and described as proceeds from the sale of unserviceable buses.
Each document bears the official stamp and serial number of Metro Mass Transit Limited, confirming the transactions were formally recorded. The emergence of these receipts on social media has intensified scrutiny of bus disposal practices during the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Managing Director of MMT, Haroun Apaw Wiredu, revealed that some of the buses were sold in the run up to the 2024 general elections, with prices reportedly as low as 2,500 cedis. Speaking during a November 2025 interview on Rainbow Radio 87.5 FM, Apaw Wiredu claimed that previous administrations sold a total of 713 buses as scrap.
“In 2017, the previous government sold 400 buses as scraps, and in March 2024, they sold 313 buses as scraps,” he stated. Apaw Wiredu described the 2024 sales occurring barely two months before general elections as a criminal scheme, questioning why serviceable buses would be disposed of at such low values.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Monday, January 19, Transport Minister Joseph Nikpe Bukari confirmed that government has launched an inquiry into the sales. The minister said the review aims to establish whether due process was followed and whether the disposals reflected fair market value.
“Regarding the auctions, this is the information available to us, and the boards are reviewing the transactions to determine whether the values were appropriate,” Bukari stated. He explained that he has directed both management and the governing boards of MMT to reassess the entire auction process to determine if further action is warranted.
“It is not something I can conclude on immediately. The auctions did take place, but if there are questions to be asked, we will go back into it and decide on the next steps,” he added. Bukari stressed that while the review is ongoing, the ministry’s immediate focus remains on improving public transport services and easing difficulties currently faced by commuters.
However, former Metro Mass Transit Managing Director Bennet Aboagye Adu Boahen has rejected the allegations, maintaining that all disposals during his tenure were lawful and properly documented. In an interview published Monday, January 19, on Adomonline.com, he clarified that buses disposed of between 2022 and 2024 were sold at prices ranging from 3,000 to 40,000 cedis.
According to Adu Boahen, the sales generated approximately 3.2 million cedis from 312 buses, contrary to claims by current management. He dismissed allegations that buses were sold for 2,500 cedis each or that the process generated only 2.5 million cedis total.
“We have a technical department, including a survey board, involved in the cannibalisation and inspection process, and an evaluation report is available,” Adu Boahen stated. “It is not true that we sold the buses for 2,500 cedis each, nor is it accurate that we generated 2.5 million from those sales. According to the report from the disposal committee, we generated 3.2 million from the sale of the 312 buses.”
The former managing director emphasized that MMT follows established procedures for bus disposal including technical assessments by engineering teams, survey boards that evaluate vehicle conditions, formal cannibalisation processes for parts recovery, and disposal committee oversight with documented recommendations.
Adu Boahen noted that unserviceable buses requiring disposal typically have reached end of operational life, suffered major mechanical failures beyond economic repair, accumulated excessive maintenance costs relative to value, or lack spare parts for critical components no longer manufactured.
The controversy over bus sales comes as MMT prepares to receive more than 350 new buses by early February 2026 as part of a government procurement program aimed at stabilizing public transport. According to Head of Communications Mohammed Mubarak Watara, the buses represent part of a broader fleet renewal initiative announced in 2025 by the Transport Minister.
Watara explained during a January 15 interview on Citi FM that MMT has restructured operations to prioritize intracity movement despite operating with a significantly reduced fleet. The company has reduced intercity routes to Kumasi and Cape Coast to make more buses available for Accra rush hour services.
From August to early November 2025, MMT achieved over 29.3 million cedis in consecutive monthly revenues according to Apaw Wiredu, who attributed the financial turnaround to new operational measures including automation and e-ticketing. The company reported 15.2 million cedis from August to September and approximately 14.1 million cedis from October 1 to November 1.
“It has been back to back. That is why President John Dramani Mahama has seen the remarkable achievements and planned to add more fleets to our buses,” Apaw Wiredu stated. “These measures have given us the highest revenue in the history of the company.”
The improved financial performance occurred despite MMT operating with a depleted fleet following the disputed bus disposals. Current management argues that selling hundreds of buses shortly before elections when the company was profitable raises questions about motives and propriety.
The receipts circulating online provide documentary evidence of specific transactions including buyer identities, payment amounts, transaction dates, and authorizing officials. These documents will likely form part of the ministry’s investigation into whether established disposal procedures were followed.
Public reactions on social media have been mixed, with some questioning why buses would be sold at low prices when MMT faced fleet shortages, while others defend the disposals as standard practice for unserviceable vehicles that had outlived operational utility and were consuming resources through storage costs.
Legal experts note that government vehicle disposal policies require transparency, competitive bidding processes, fair market valuations, documented condition assessments, and approval by authorized committees. Deviation from these procedures could constitute financial irregularities warranting investigation.
The timing of the March 2024 sales occurring months before December elections has fueled speculation about political motivations, though no evidence of partisan considerations in disposal decisions has been publicly presented. Former Managing Director Adu Boahen maintained that technical evaluations rather than political factors drove disposal recommendations.
For MMT, the controversy complicates efforts to rebuild public confidence as the company prepares to expand services with new buses. The organization has emphasized recent operational improvements including extended working hours, intensified service on high demand routes like Adenta where all 10 electric vehicles now operate from 4:30 am, and reduced intercity trips to boost Accra intracity transport.
Transport Minister Bukari noted that ongoing discussions with transport unions are expected to help stabilize operations and provide relief for passengers experiencing daily commuting challenges. He indicated that new buses will be equipped with modern technology including smart monitoring systems, cashless payment infrastructure, and automated revenue collection linked to Ghana Commercial Bank.
The ministry has secured financing arrangements with Ghana Commercial Bank to support fleet expansion at both MMT and State Transport Company. Under the agreement, ticketing and payment processes will be automated, with portions of ticket revenue flowing directly to the bank to secure loan repayments.
Before engaging financial institutions, government implemented internal reforms to improve efficiency and accountability within the transport companies. According to Bukari, these reforms are already yielding positive results as both MMT and State Transport Company have begun making profits despite operating with limited buses.
The investigation into bus sales represents one of several reviews being conducted by the new administration into transactions completed during the transition period. Similar inquiries are examining disposal of government vehicles, property transfers, and contract awards finalized between the December 2024 election and the January 2025 inauguration.
For buyers named in receipts circulating online, the investigation could raise questions about whether they followed proper procurement procedures, paid market value prices, and intend to use purchased buses for legitimate purposes. If irregularities are found, authorities could seek recovery of undervalued assets or pursue legal action.
The outcome of the Transport Ministry’s review will determine whether additional investigations by anti corruption agencies or law enforcement become necessary. Similar probes in other sectors have resulted in asset freezes, contract reversals, and criminal prosecutions where evidence of wrongdoing emerges.
As the investigation proceeds, MMT continues preparing for the arrival of new buses expected to transform service delivery. Deputy Transport Minister Dorcas Affo Toffey traveled to Egypt in December 2025 to inspect ISUZU buses being procured, demonstrating government commitment to fleet renewal despite controversy over past disposals.
The new buses scheduled for delivery by the first week of February will expand services and ease pressure on heavily patronized intracity routes in Accra where commuters often face long waiting times and congestion during peak periods. The additions represent the first phase of a multi year program to renew MMT’s fleet and restore the company to operational capacity.
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