The report of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee in December 2022 shows that the Afari Military Hospital project had reached about 90 percent completion under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, a revelation that has added a new dimension to the ongoing controversy surrounding the facility.
The disclosure comes at a time when the Minority in Parliament has intensified pressure on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over allegations of financial impropriety and delays associated with the hospital project in the Ashanti Region.
However, the parliamentary report, signed by the then Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee, Ken Ohene Agyapong, indicates that substantial progress had already been made on the project before the NPP left office.
The report, which accompanied the Ministry of Defence’s 2023 Budget Estimates during the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament, listed the Afari Military Hospital among major infrastructure projects undertaken by the ministry.
It stated that “the Afari Military Hospital had progressed to about ninety percent” as of the period under review.
Other projects highlighted in the report included the reconstruction of the Military Academy at Teshie, the construction of the Bui Forward Operating Base which was 65 percent complete, military housing projects, the establishment of 15 Forward Operating Bases in northern Ghana and the acquisition of naval vessels to strengthen maritime security.
The parliamentary document has resurfaced amid a heated political debate over the status of the hospital and recent allegations concerning its financing and completion.
Commenting on the controversy, the former chairman of the committee, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, questioned why members of the current Minority, who were part of the government at the time, failed to complete the facility when it was reportedly close to completion.
According to him, if the project was indeed at 90 percent completion as stated in Parliament’s official records, there should be explanations as to why it was not fully completed before the change of government.
The issue has generated significant public interest following claims and counterclaims between the governing NDC and the opposition NPP regarding the state of the hospital and the resources committed to it.
Supporters of the government have pointed to the 2022 parliamentary report as evidence that the project was inherited in an advanced state but not fully completed by the previous administration.
They contend that the report raises legitimate questions about project management and expenditure under the NPP government.
On the other hand, members of the Minority insist that the current administration must provide a full account of the project’s status and explain any additional costs incurred since assuming office.
The Afari Military Hospital was conceived as a major healthcare facility for the Ghana Armed Forces and the wider public in the Ashanti Region. The project has been viewed as a critical component of efforts to improve access to specialised medical services and reduce pressure on existing health facilities.
In its conclusion, the Defence and Interior Committee had recommended approval of GH¢3.74 billion for the Ministry of Defence’s programmes and activities for the 2023 financial year after expressing satisfaction with the ministry’s planned activities and ongoing projects.
A Daily Guide Report