Dr. John Kingsley Krugu, spokesperson for the Environment and Natural Resources Sector Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has strongly criticised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s flagship “Big Push” infrastructure agenda, describing it as a “money-making machine” designed to enrich NDC contractors through inflated road contracts.
Speaking on A1 Radio, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency questioned the government’s justification for sole-sourcing road contracts under the programme, arguing that the cost per kilometre far exceeds realistic market rates.
According to Dr. Krugu, road construction contracts that previously averaged about US$1.2 million per kilometre under the previous NPP administration are now being priced at nearly US$2 million per kilometre under the Big Push initiative.
“It is simply because a two-million-dollar-per-kilometre road can never go through competitive tendering and succeed. No procurement committee will approve that because it raises too many questions,” he alleged.
He argued that the sole-sourcing arrangement attached to the initiative prevents transparency and accountability in the awarding of contracts.
Dr. Krugu further claimed that road construction has become one of the most lucrative sectors for politically connected contractors, alleging that some firms could make profits of up to 100 per cent from government-awarded projects.
“If you even get a two-kilometre road contract, look at the amount of money you make. It becomes a job-for-the-boys system,” he stated.
Touching on development in the northern sector, the former NPP parliamentary candidate maintained that Northern Ghana’s transformation cannot be achieved through what he described as politically motivated infrastructure spending, but rather through strategic investments capable of creating long-term economic opportunities for rural communities.
He particularly advocated for innovative agricultural interventions, including mobile solar-powered irrigation systems and cold storage facilities, as sustainable solutions to poverty and food insecurity in the northern sector.
According to him, many women in rural communities continue to risk their lives searching for water and struggling with the harsh realities of rain-fed agriculture despite the region’s groundwater potential.
“In the landscape, the conditions are the same, so why should our women continue to suffer trying to access water?” he questioned.
Dr. Krugu explained that his engagement with experts and private companies has revealed practical technologies that could help farmers transition from seasonal farming to year-round agricultural production.
He disclosed that some companies have proposed mobile solar-powered pump systems capable of serving multiple farming communities by moving from one borehole location to another.
Under the concept, water can be pumped into storage tanks connected to drip irrigation systems before the mobile unit moves to another community.
“If we can move our people from just rain-fed agriculture to dry season agriculture, then we are transforming the landscape,” he stressed.
He noted that such interventions would not only increase agricultural productivity but also improve incomes and reduce rural unemployment across Northern Ghana.
Dr. Krugu also highlighted the importance of post-harvest management, revealing that discussions are underway with firms interested in providing solar-powered cold storage systems for farmers.
He explained that inadequate storage facilities often force farmers to sell produce at very low prices during periods of glut, resulting in significant financial losses.
“If farmers produce tomatoes and the market is poor, they are forced to sell at a loss. But with solar-powered cold storage systems, they can preserve their produce and wait for better market prices,” he explained.
The environmental expert believes integrating renewable energy solutions into agriculture could become a game-changer for the north by improving food security, reducing waste, and creating economic resilience for farming communities.
His comments come amid ongoing national debate over the government’s infrastructure spending priorities and concerns raised by sections of the opposition regarding procurement processes and value for money under major state-funded projects.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
