Scandal! US$570million Tema Motorway Contract Did Not Receive Parliamentary Approval

Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Stephen Pambin Jalula, has raised eyebrows with an alleged public admission that the government’s contract with Portuguese civil construction company, Mota Engil to construct the Tema Motorway did not receive Parliamentary approval.

He made the admission on Accra-based Joy FM this week.

The construct sum is a whopping US$570million which is funding the construction of the 27km Accra-Tema Motorway.

As Mota Engil is an offshore company, any contract with it ought to have first been approved by Parliament so that the absence of such an approval makes the contract illegal.

Confirming this position, Minority Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Kwame Agbodza, has pointed out that the contract breaches Article 181(5) of the constitution.

“The Deputy Minister admitted that the current contract with Motta Engil did not receive Parliamentary approval, a clear breach of Article 181(5) of the 1992 constitution. The contract with Motta Engils is illegitimate and cannot be enforced,” he wrote.

Hon. Jalula, the Deputy Minister is also said to have said that the nature of the contract is such that no Ghanaian contract had the capacity to undertake it.

Hon. Agbodza said that position was very disrespectful to Ghanaian civil engineers whom he said are richly qualified to undertake the project.

“He also said there are no contractors in Ghana capable of building a 27km Accra- Tema motorway. In his view, the cost of the project, $570m project was too much for Ghanaian contractors to handle. This is a very sad mindset of the NPP government towards Ghanaian contractors. Indeed, many Ghanaian contractors can do this project if given the opportunity. The government can also break the project into Lots and allow different contractors to do different Lots.”

He adds that, “If you are a Ghanaian Contractor who has been funding the NPP, this is what they think of you. The NDC believe Ghanaian Contractors are very capable of doing this job.“

According to him, the Minority shall continue to fight for opportunities for Ghanaian Contractors.