Prof. Stephen Adei
Top Ghanaian road contractors have taken exception to Prof. Stephen Adei’s claim to the effect that contractors pay GH¢1 million before they are awarded road contracts.
The former Rector of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) was captured in the media recently making the claim.
With no evidence, he incurred widespread opprobrium.
“We have followed with keen interest discussions in the media space in respect of an allegation made by Professor Stephen Adei, a former Rector of GIMPA, to the effect that some contractors make upfront payments of GH¢ 1 million before the award of road contracts,” the contractors stated in a press release.
The release continued, “we have also read a press statement from the Ministry of Roads and Highways indicating that the Minister has requested the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to investigate the allegation.”
“We wish to state clearly that none of us has had any such experience,” they said, pointing out that “road contracts go through a process until the award is given.
“The process is well known and transparent and consequently makes it very difficult for corrupt practices to prevail in the allocation of road contracts.
“We wish to allay the concerns of Professor Adei and the general public and emphatically state that no such bribes are paid for road contracts in Ghana,” they said.
Turning to the minister, they said that “he has led the ministry with candor and professionalism. Not only that, but he has brought discipline to the roads construction sector”.
They also doffed their hats for the roads minister, for as they put it “his deliberate building of the capacity of the local contractors to meet international standards for the purpose of relying on local capacity and ensuring true independence.”
Their defence of the contract award process notwithstanding, the contractors pointed out that “we as part of the community of road contractors, shall support the work of any investigative body to bring closure to these allegations. We shall therefore standby to assist EOCO if and when invited”.
The contractors are First Sky Ltd, Maripoma Enterprise Ltd, Justimoh Construction Ltd, Resource Access Ltd, Kasmo Co Ltd,
Oswald Investment Ltd and Ussuya Ghana Limited.
Others are Volta Impex Ltd, Limerica Ghana Ltd, Doncross Ltd, Joshop Ghana Ltd and General Construction Ltd.
The rest are Hardwick Ltd, Kofi Job Construction, Menphis Construction Ltd, Mawums Ltd, Kingspock Ltd, Kingdowsco Company Ltd, Nagfairmont Ghana Ltd and New Modern World Ltd.