A Professor of Finance and Economics at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Prof. Godfred Bokpin, has criticized the government for the misuse of public funds on questionable projects, highlighting the 1 Village 1 Dam initiative.
According to him, inefficiency in the use of public funds is a significant issue for the country.
He argued that many projects, like the newly commissioned Flower Pot Interchange, often fail to offer real value for money as their costs are frequently inflated.
Prof. Bokpin noted that while the government has spent substantial sums constructing interchanges and dams—many of which have become white elephants—numerous roads nationwide remain in poor condition.
He remarked:
“There are instances where we have spent taxpayers’ money to construct dams, supposedly, and you may find that potholes on our roads actually hold more water than the dams we’ve constructed.”
He further emphasized:
“If the Ghanaian government constructs an interchange and you look at the cost of constructing that interchange, comparing it maybe to world averages, you will see inefficiency. That’s where the problems arise for us, and that is what we have to address.”
Prof. Bokpin shared these views on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, November 20, during a discussion on the rising cost of living in the lead-up to the December general election.
The economist highlighted the need for prudent resource allocation, emphasizing that resources are scarce and must be utilized wisely.
Over the years, many Ghanaians, particularly members of opposition political parties, have criticized the One Village, One Dam programme for failing to achieve its intended objectives.
Prof. Bokpin called for “credible leadership” to address issues of resource inefficiency and stressed the importance of creating an improved investment climate for the nation’s development.
Flower Pot Interchange Project Cost Controversy
The Flower Pot Interchange project was awarded in 2016 for GH¢69.5 million by the previous NDC government. However, its cost was revised to GH¢147 million in 2017 and has now approached GH¢1 billion under the Nana Addo-led government.
The Director-General of the National Roads Authority (NRA), James Amoo-Gottfried, explained that the cost increase was due to an expanded scope of work.
“The initial scope was entirely different. It was to involve two overpasses: one over the Flower Pot roundabout and another across the motorway (Accra-Tema Motorway), totalling about 120 metres of bridge length. What we have now is about 1,022 metres of bridge length,” he explained.
He added:
“So, the scope as originally planned and what we have now is entirely different.”
His comments responded to calls from Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) demanding explanations for the substantial rise in construction costs.
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