The Big Push One-Worker Controversy: Evidence vs. Ministry Denial | Discuss Ghana

As of Sunday, March 29, 2026, a major procurement scandal is unfolding regarding the $10 billion "Big Push" infrastructure program. While Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza has dismissed reports of irregularities as "disinformation," investigative journalists and media watchdogs have produced documentary evidence to the contrary.

The core of the dispute involves Build Managers, a company that reportedly holds a multimillion-cedi contract despite having a skeletal staff.

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The Evidence: "Build Managers" and the SSNIT Clearance

According to a report by The Fourth Estate and further details provided by Sulemana Braimah (Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa) on Newsfile (March 28, 2026), the evidence for the "one-worker" claim is found in the government's own files:

The Document: The SSNIT Clearance Certificate attached to the contract for the Apegusu-Mpakadan Feeder Road reportedly lists only one employee at the time the contract was signed.

The Contract: Build Managers is tasked with upgrading 9km of the Apegusu-Mpakadan road for GH₵146 million.

Cost Per Kilometer: This puts the cost at approximately GH₵16.2 million per kilometer for a feeder road—a figure critics say is significantly higher than standard benchmarks.

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The Minister’s Denial vs. The "Master Register"

In a statement to Parliament on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Minister Agbodza defended the Big Push, claiming it prioritizes "competent and well-resourced" local contractors.

Minister Agbodza's Claim	The Investigative Counter-Claim
"Only 44% of contracts were sole-sourced."	76% of contracts from Sept 2025 to Jan 2026 were sole-sourced based on the Ministry’s own Data.
"Contractors were chosen based on proven capacity."	Master Register shows firms with 1 or 4 workers being awarded 100M+ contracts.
"There is no scandal... details are transparent."	RTI requests were initially denied, and the Minority is calling for a full forensic audit.

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"National Reset" or "Big Push" for Favorites?

The Minority in Parliament, led by Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has officially petitioned the government to publish the full details of all 107 Big Push contracts.

Staffing Paradox: The President’s "National Reset" promised that only experienced firms would handle the $10 billion program. The revelation that a company with one staff member is managing a GH₵146 million project has led to accusations of "fronting" or "pre-election fund-raising".

Audit Demands: The Ghana Institution of Surveyors has been called upon by civil society to conduct an independent "Value for Money" audit on the Apegusu-Mpakadan stretch to explain the GH₵16M/km price tag.

Inherited Debts: The Minister argues that the government has already paid GH₵11 billion to clear arrears, but critics point out that the new Big Push contracts are creating even larger future obligations through non-competitive bidding.

"One of the companies awarded a sole-sourced Big Push contract has four workers; another has just one. These figures come directly from the Ministry's Big Push Master Register." — Sulemana Braimah, MFWA.