The Ministry of Roads and Highways has announced bold new measures to tackle the persistent problem of substandard road construction in the country. Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza, speaking at the latest edition of the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House, declared that the government is drawing a hard line against poor workmanship and negligence in the road sector.
According to the minister, the government is now implementing a three-pronged enforcement strategy that targets contractors, consultants, and even government officials who oversee road projects. He stated that going forward, contractors will be thoroughly vetted before being awarded any road project. “We are declaring war on shoddy work. No more shortcuts. If you cannot deliver quality, don’t bid,” Agbodza warned.
He further revealed that performance bonds issued by contractors will now be strictly enforced. In cases where roads fail shortly after construction, the government will immediately activate the bonds and recover funds to fix the damage. “We won’t wait for reports. The moment the road fails without reason, we’ll cash the bond,” he said.
In addition, consultants working with the ministry will be required to purchase professional indemnity insurance before being awarded contracts. This insurance will cover the cost of repairs if any project they supervise collapses or shows signs of failure without justifiable cause. “If the roads you supervise collapse and you can’t explain why, your insurance will pay for the repairs,” the minister added.
Perhaps the most significant shift comes with the decision to hold government staff financially accountable. Any ministry official or engineer who approves payments for uncompleted or poorly executed road projects will be surcharged personally. Agbodza explained that this is meant to send a strong message across the board: “If you sign off on substandard work, be ready to pay for it. We must protect the public purse.”
He emphasized that the new policy is part of government’s broader commitment to protecting public investment and improving infrastructure quality across the country. “This is about restoring trust. Ghanaians deserve durable roads, not pothole-ridden ones after six months. We are resetting the system to reflect that,” he said.
The new measures take immediate effect, and the Ministry says it will continue to monitor all ongoing and future road projects under the tightened framework.
By Bawa Musah
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