Agbodza Vetting: 5 Highlights From The Vetting Of Mahama’s Roads Minister Pick

Agbodza Vetting: 5 Highlights From The Vetting Of Mahama’s Roads Minister Pick

Parliament's appointments committee has vetted the Kwame Agbodza, the Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways. YEN.com.gh outlines five key takeaways from the vetting of a critical portfolio.

PAY ATTENTION: NOW You can COMMENT on our articles on the YEN website! Learn how to get started.

Kwame Agbodza, the Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways, spent over four hours before the appointments committee on January 20, during which time his views on a critical sector were scrutinised.

The session was not without some drama. A reported dispute between the majority and minority sides of the committee led to the sitting being suspended temporarily.

Agbodza Vetting: 5 Highlights From The Vetting Of Mahama’s Roads Minister Pick
Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways Kwame Agbodza is an architect and politician with extensive experience in design and project management. Source: Parliament of Ghana
Source: Facebook

When the sitting resumed, Agbodza was quizzed on issues ranging from debt to the materials used for road construction.

Recent appointee Agbodza is an architect with extensive experience in architectural design and project management.

Since 2013, he has been the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, rising through parliamentary ranks as Deputy Ranking Member, Ranking Member, Minority Chief Whip, and now Majority Chief Whip of the Ninth Parliament.

Read also

Murdoch group lawyers say close to deal in Prince Harry lawsuit

5 highlights from Minister-designate Agbodza's vetting

Concern with debts in the road sector

Agbodza expressed concerns about the growing debt within the sector. He said the government was currently weighed on by at least GH¢113 billion in outstanding commitments.

He also disclosed that as of January 20, 2025, unpaid certificates from the Government of Ghana amounted to GH¢20 billion, with an additional GH¢15 billion in unpaid road funds.

“At the transition committee, it turns out that as of today [January 20], I have not been to the ministry yet, but what they presented to the committee, the NPP government is leaving a minimum of GH¢100 billion commitment."

Return of road tolls

Agbodza criticised the previous government’s decision to abolish road tolls, describing the move as illegal.

Like Finance Minister-designate Cassiel Ato Forson, he also reiterated the plan to reinstate the tolls with better technology, eliminating the need for physical barriers on the roads.

Read also

C Confion's girlfriend receives GH¢20k & iPhone 11 Pro Max, his mother & father also get huge amount

“Accrual to the road fund was only GH¢250 million and we worked to increase it to gh¢1.5 billion, today, it is over GH¢2 billion, so we cautioned the government against cancelling the road tolls and we were surprised that they cancelled it. It was an act of illegality to cancel it.”

Comments on the controversial e-gate at KIA

The nominee insisted that the controversial E-Gate system at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) lacks a formal contract.

The E-Gate system, introduced as part of efforts to modernise operations at Ghana’s premier international airport, was reportedly set to cost $240 million, though the Ghana Immigration Service challenged this.

Agbodza said the project was part of ongoing work by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and was initially intended to be implemented at no cost to the government.

“If the government had listened to what I was saying, it wouldn’t have resulted in some of the embarrassment we saw at the airport when the former Vice President was trying to commission it. There is not even any contract for the E-Gate. There is no contract for the $1.7 million they were talking about.

Read also

Twum Barimah: Akwatia-based businessman sprays cash on couple at their wedding reception

Poor road maintenance

Agbodza criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for failing to prioritise road maintenance over the past eight years.

The Minster-designate also gave assurances that maintaining the country’s current roads would be a higher priority than constructing new ones.

The Adaklu MP pointed to a stark contrast in the numbers, noting that in 2016, the country had managed to maintain 9,000 kilometres of roads.

However, by 2023, only 3,000 kilometres of roads had been preserved, illustrating a significant decline in the country’s commitment to road upkeep.

“The principle is that you should spend more on the maintenance of your existing roads than building new roads. Per the records we have in terms of road maintenance, things have gone bad in the last eight years."

Removing cap on road fund

Agbodza reiterated his call for decapping statutory funds, particularly the Road Fund, to improve the efficiency of project financing and reduce the government’s debt to contractors.

Read also

Opanka: GH rapper ventures into a new career in the US, says he's now a financial advisor

He noted that the Ministry of Finance retains a significant portion of the funds collected for the Road Fund, which are later reallocated as part of the government budget.

“I’ve been a consistent advocate for the decapping of statutory funds, especially the Road Fund. When you analyze the money collected into the Road Fund versus the amount released, it’s clear that the Finance Ministry takes a substantial portion, only to return it as GoG [Government of Ghana] funds. This approach limits the fund’s effectiveness... So I'll continue to advocate for decapping of road fund.”

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.