Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to review and renegotiate the conditions of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) project.
During his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, January 31, Ablakwa expressed concerns, claiming that the project, which was started in August 2024, was over $100 million overvalued.
In order to improve road building and maintenance in every area, the DRIP initiative was launched as a major infrastructure project.
By giving local authorities vital technical training and modern equipment, it also aimed to increase the capability of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Notwithstanding these admirable goals, Ablakwa contended that the project’s financial implementation has been fraught with errors, perhaps costing Ghana desperately needed resources.Ghanaian-inspired merchandise
Only 25% of the project’s overall cost has been paid, according to Ablakwa, leaving significant space for renegotiation.
In order to protect public monies, he emphasized the pressing necessity for President Mahama’s administration to take prompt action in this matter.
He said:
“Fortunately, only 25 percent has been paid and not all the liabilities have been met so I have encouraged the new Mahama administration to renegotiate the DRIP initiative so that we can save money because my conservative estimate is that it has been inflated by more than $100 million.
“And there is the need to save money because $100 million can do so much for an IMF-bailout country.”
The potential effects of retrieving the inflated monies were further explained by the Foreign Affairs Minister-Designate.
He emphasized how such a sum might be used to fund other vital areas like healthcare, education, and social intervention initiatives—all of which are in desperate need of funding given Ghana’s continuous economic difficulties.
Originally intended to empower local authorities, decentralize road maintenance, and create jobs, the DRIP plan was envisioned as a transformative infrastructure program.
