Ghana Terminates Odaw River Drainage Contract Over Poor Performance

• The government terminated the contract for the Odaw River drainage works under the GARID project due to poor contractor performance
• The project involved constructing a 1.5km box culvert from Nima Paloma to the Odaw River and was expected to be completed within 18 months
• The Ministry of Works sought World Bank approval to complete critical remaining works, including demolishing the Odaw channel outfall wall to prevent flooding

Ghana's government has terminated the construction contract for drainage works along the Odaw River after the contractor failed to meet performance standards, Works, Housing and Water Resources Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei has told Parliament.

The works formed part of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project and centred on building a 1.5-kilometre box culvert structure connecting Nima Paloma to the Odaw River. Construction began in July 2024 with an 18-month completion window.

Why Odaw drainage contract was terminated

Responding to a question on the floor of Parliament last Friday, Mr Adjei confirmed that the contractor had been dismissed before the project reached completion.

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"However, due to poor performance, the contract for that work has been terminated," the minister said.

He noted that at the point of termination, several works were still in progress at stages considered critical, requiring urgent attention before the broader project could be repackaged and reassigned.

World Bank approval sought for critical works

To address the risk posed by the unfinished sections, the ministry applied to the World Bank for permission to complete the most pressing elements without delay.

"The ministry, therefore, sought approval from the World Bank to immediately complete those critical works while the repackaging of the project continued," Mr Adjei told Parliament.

The minister outlined three specific tasks identified as critical: demolishing the outfall wall of the Odaw channel to prevent sediment accumulation and flooding; completing the construction of a drain downstream to link up with the Odaw channel; and constructing a drainage section upstream that had already been stripped and demolished.

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The Odaw River and the broader drainage network in the Greater Accra Region have long been associated with flooding challenges in the capital, with communities near the Nima corridor among those most frequently affected.

GMet warns of thunderstorms today

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) had released its morning weather forecast for Thursday, July 3, 2026.

Coastal areas face light to moderate rain, to continue at intervals through the afternoon and evening.

Thunderstorms are forecast for the forest, mountain, and northern parts of Ghana as the day progresses.

Source: YEN.com.gh