The Minority in Parliament has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of mismanaging the Afari Military Hospital project, dismissing claims that previous governments failed to prioritise its completion.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, argued that the prolonged delays associated with the project stemmed largely from decisions taken by the NDC administration after it assumed office in 2009.
According to him, the project was originally awarded in 2008 under the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor and was initially planned for Sofoline in Kumasi.
Mr Amankwa-Manu alleged that after taking office, the NDC changed the project’s location several times, moving it from Sofoline to Tamale, then to Accra, before finally settling on Afari in the Ashanti Region.
“Originally contracted in 2008 under President J.A. Kufuor for Sofoline, Kumasi, the project was derailed when the NDC assumed office in 2009. They inexplicably relocated it to Tamale, then to Accra, and finally to Afari. This political manoeuvring caused a six-year delay, resulting in the contractor claiming an additional US$36 million, which was eventually negotiated down to US$19.3 million,” he alleged.
He further claimed that progress on the hospital remained slow throughout the NDC’s tenure, despite construction commencing in 2014.
“Let the record show that as of December 2016, when the NDC left office, the project was only 40 per cent complete. After eight years in power, and despite commencing physical construction in 2014, the NDC could only deliver 40 per cent,” he said.
The lawmaker credited the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration with significantly advancing the project after taking office in 2017.
“It was the NPP administration that took this project from 40 per cent to 98 per cent by January 2025. The question Ghanaians must ask is: who really slept on this project?” he questioned.
Minority Opposes US$85 Million Claim
Mr Amankwa-Manu also rejected a proposed US$85 million claim related to the completion of the Afari Military Hospital, describing the amount as excessive and unjustified.
He warned that the Minority would resist any effort to approve the payment and called for greater accountability in the use of public funds.
“We will fiercely resist this scheme. We demand value for money and will protect the public purse. The government must immediately abandon this unjustified US$85 million claim, pay the outstanding US$500,000 and ensure the contractor completes the remaining 2 per cent of the work without further delay,” he stated.
The Minority MP further accused the government of attempting to facilitate payment of the amount through what he described as a “back-door approach.”
“Any attempt to use the back door to pay this newly generated and unjustified amount of US$85 million can only be described by the popular Ghanaian phrase: ‘Create, Loot and Share’,” he alleged.
Calls for Completion Without Wasteful Spending
Despite his criticism, Mr Amankwa-Manu stressed the importance of completing and operationalising the hospital, noting its significance to both the Ghana Armed Forces and residents of the Ashanti Region.
He, however, insisted that the project’s completion should not come at the expense of prudent financial management.
“We all want the Afari Military Hospital completed and operationalised to serve the healthcare needs of the Ghana Armed Forces and the people of the Ashanti Region. However, this must not become a conduit for daylight robbery,” he said.