The DRIP contract was inflated over 100 million

The Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to revisit and renegotiate the terms of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) initiative, citing concerns over alleged financial inefficiencies.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Friday, January 31, Mr. Ablakwa claimed that the project, launched in August 2024, had been inflated by more than $100 million.

The DRIP initiative was introduced to enhance road maintenance and construction across all districts while equipping Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with modern machinery and technical training.

However, Mr. Ablakwa raised concerns that despite its objectives, the execution of the project has been riddled with financial mismanagement, potentially draining Ghana’s already stretched resources.

“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,” he stated.

He further stressed that Ghana, currently under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, must take decisive action to safeguard public funds.

“And there is the need to save money because $100 million can do so much for an IMF-bailout country,” he added.

Mr. Ablakwa argued that renegotiating the contract could free up funds for critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and social intervention programs, which are in dire need of investment given Ghana’s current economic challenges.

The DRIP initiative was initially envisioned as a transformative infrastructure project aimed at decentralising road maintenance, empowering local authorities, and creating employment opportunities.

However, with allegations of inflated costs, the call for renegotiation could reshape its implementation to ensure efficiency and value for money.

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