Ghana is witnessing a turning point, a moment when leadership refuses to bow to incompetence, when national interest finally outweighs contractor comfort, and when excuses are no longer accepted as substitutes for work.
The Roads and Highways Minister, Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza, has drawn a decisive line, and this nation must stand firmly behind him. His intervention on the Wenchi–Sawla road is not merely administrative, it is a bold confrontation with a culture of negligence that has crippled Ghana’s infrastructure for far too long.
The Minister’s directive to descope twenty five kilometres each from China International Water and Polychander is not an act of hostility, it is an act of national protection. These contractors have demonstrated delays, unsatisfactory performance, and a shocking lack of urgency. Ghana cannot continue to entrust critical road projects to firms that treat national contracts like casual errands. The Minister’s message was sharp, the people deserve roads, not excuses, and certainly not the eye service that has become the hallmark of certain contractors.
The viral video circulating nationwide exposes the truth with painful clarity; China International Water and Polychander do not have what it takes. Their mobilization is weak, their pace unacceptable, their commitment questionable.
The Minister drove the length of the project and saw firsthand what Ghanaians have been complaining about for years, abandoned stretches, sluggish activity, and a complete mismatch between expectation and delivery. His decision to cut their scope from fifty kilometres to twenty five kilometres each was immediate, justified, and necessary. Two new contractors will be introduced to inject dynamism, because Ghana cannot afford to wait for firms that have already proven they cannot deliver.
The Minister’s confrontation with regional directors was equally uncompromising. He condemned the shameful practice of contractors who only work when they hear the minister is coming, a deceptive culture that insults the intelligence of the Ghanaian public. He exposed the disturbing habit of leaking inspection itineraries so contractors can stage activity for cameras, only to abandon the site once the convoy leaves. This is not mere incompetence, it is deception, negligence, and a betrayal of public trust. Independent inspections in Eastern, Ashanti, and other regions revealed a pattern of glowing reports from regional offices contrasted with abandoned sites and nonexistent work. This is a systemic failure that demands systemic correction.
Hon. Agbodza’s doctrine is clear; perform and deliver, or make way for those who can. There is no room for excuses, no tolerance for laziness, and no patience for contractors who believe national contracts are lifetime entitlements. Contractors will meet deadlines, Ghana has expectations, and Ghana has millions of citizens whose daily lives depend on these roads.
Contractors who cannot meet their obligations must be removed, directors who file deceptive reports must be sanctioned or relieved of their jobs, and firms that rely on eye service must be permanently sidelined.
The Minister’s ultimatum to regional directors was a necessary shock,; urban road regional directors, highway regional directors, and the chief executive must report to his office at eight o’clock on Monday to explain their failures. Accountability is no longer optional. The days of hiding behind bureaucracy, leaking itineraries, and filing deceptive reports are over. Ghana is entering a new era where performance is the only currency that matters.
This editorial condemns, without hesitation, contractors who think it is business as usual. Ghana cannot continue to reward incompetence with patience. The road sector must be sanitized, disciplined, and rebuilt on the pillars of urgency, professionalism, and results. Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza has taken a courageous stand, and Sankofaonline asserts that Ghana must stand with him.
The roads must be built, the work must be done, and under this new leadership, it will be done.
