Opposition MP Accuses Government of Illegal Spending on Roads

Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, has accused the government of committing over 50.9 billion cedis to road projects without parliamentary approval, alleging the move violates Ghana’s Constitution and financial management laws.

The opposition legislator shared a leaked Ministry of Finance document on his Facebook page Thursday, reportedly signed by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, authorizing the Ministry of Roads and Highways to commit the government to multi year expenditures covering 2025, 2026, and 2027 for major road infrastructure works under the Big Push Programme. The breakdown allegedly allocates 7.6 billion cedis for 2025, 30.6 billion for 2026, and 12.7 billion for 2027.

Assafuah described the move as exposing the administration as “a government of illegality, thievery, and hypocrisy,” arguing that the Finance Ministry’s multi year approval for road projects was not backed by Parliament. He characterized it as grand corruption and fiscal lawlessness clothed in officialdom.

The MP cited Section 33(1) of the Public Financial Management Act, which states that a covered entity shall not enter into any agreement that binds the government for more than one financial year except where such commitment has the prior written approval of the Minister and is authorized by Parliament. According to Assafuah, the multi year approval issued by the Finance Ministry lacked such parliamentary endorsement, rendering it illegal and unconstitutional.

He noted that while Parliament approved 13 billion cedis for the Big Push Programme in the 2025 Budget, the Ministry of Finance has committed to spending nearly 51 billion cedis over three years, far exceeding the approved budget ceiling. That gap represents a fundamental question about whether the executive branch can unilaterally commit future governments to spending obligations that haven’t gone through legislative scrutiny.

The legal framework Assafuah invoked exists precisely to prevent such scenarios. Article 181 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution requires parliamentary approval for government borrowing and guarantees, while the PFM Act establishes procedures for multi year commitments. These safeguards aim to ensure elected representatives control public spending rather than having executive agencies make binding financial decisions independently.

Assafuah questioned the staggering cost of some projects, including the Enchi to Elubo Road, a 71 kilometer stretch pegged at about 1.5 billion cedis. He calculated that translates to roughly 1.7 million dollars per kilometer, which he described as excessive and unjustifiable under what he termed a kleptocracy government.

Road construction costs vary widely based on terrain, existing infrastructure, environmental factors, and design specifications. International benchmarks suggest rural road rehabilitation in developing countries typically runs between 200,000 and 800,000 dollars per kilometer, while new construction on difficult terrain can reach 2 million dollars per kilometer or more. The Enchi to Elubo corridor connects Ghana’s Western Region to Cote d’Ivoire, traversing areas with challenging topography and requiring drainage systems for heavy rainfall, factors that could justify higher costs if properly documented.

The MP accused the government of hypocrisy, comparing current road construction costs to what the ruling party previously criticized under the former administration, noting that the same people who condemned the NPP for building a kilometer of road at one million dollars are now doing it for 1.7 million dollars. That political irony cuts deep in Ghana’s partisan environment, where opposition parties routinely attack government spending as wasteful before adopting similar or larger budgets once they take power.

Assafuah warned the move could worsen Ghana’s fiscal situation, noting that given only 7.6 billion cedis was approved for 2025 against a 13 billion cedi budget, the government will most definitely accumulate arrears running into billions. Those arrears would become liabilities for future administrations to clear, mortgaging Ghana’s fiscal flexibility for years ahead.

Ghana’s arrears problem has plagued successive governments. The current administration inherited arrears from the previous NPP government, which itself inherited arrears from earlier NDC administrations. Each government promises to clear old debts while accumulating new ones, creating a cycle that constrains development spending as resources go toward settling past obligations rather than funding new projects.

The Big Push Programme represents President John Dramani Mahama’s flagship infrastructure initiative, promising to upgrade Ghana’s road network through concentrated investment. The programme launched earlier in 2025 with ceremonies across multiple regions, positioning improved connectivity as essential for economic growth and market access. Whether the programme delivers value depends on execution quality, cost controls, and transparent procurement processes that critics like Assafuah clearly doubt.

The Old Tafo MP also noted that institutions such as the IMF and World Bank cannot feign ignorance after previously endorsing claims of fiscal indiscipline against the previous government, questioning which narrative will be accepted of this government and calling it hypocrisy. That reference points to how international financial institutions criticized the previous NPP administration’s fiscal management while supporting the current NDC government’s economic programme, raising questions about consistency in how multilateral lenders assess Ghana’s finances.

The International Monetary Fund approved a 3 billion dollar Extended Credit Facility for Ghana in May 2023, continuing support under the current administration. The programme includes fiscal targets and structural reforms meant to stabilize Ghana’s economy after a 2022 debt crisis forced the country to restructure obligations to external creditors. Whether the alleged 50.9 billion cedi commitment fits within IMF programme parameters remains unclear, since the Fund typically requires that spending plans align with approved budgets and debt sustainability frameworks.

Assafuah serves as Member of Parliament for Old Tafo in the Ashanti Region, representing the opposition New Patriotic Party. Born in 1990, he holds degrees in political science, economic policy, development finance, and law, along with training in public relations. He won his parliamentary seat in 2020 with nearly 75 percent of votes and previously served as Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development during the NPP administration. His educational background positions him to engage technical aspects of public finance, though his partisan affiliation colors how government supporters receive his criticisms.

The Finance Ministry hasn’t publicly responded to Assafuah’s allegations as of Thursday evening. Government officials typically dismiss opposition accusations as politically motivated, arguing that infrastructure investment drives growth and job creation that justifies borrowing. Whether the ministry will provide documentation showing parliamentary approval for the multi year commitments, clarify the legal basis for the expenditure authorizations, or defend the road construction cost estimates remains to be seen.

Assafuah concluded his Facebook post with the Twi phrase “Nyame nkoaa ne nokwarefo,” meaning only God is truthful. That invocation reflects frustration that truth becomes contested in Ghana’s hyperpartisan political environment, where opposing sides rarely agree on basic facts about government performance. For citizens trying to assess competing claims, the lack of transparent, accessible public finance data makes it difficult to independently verify whether the government has indeed violated spending rules or whether opposition accusations represent legitimate oversight or partisan attacks.