The Minority in Parliament has opposed the suspension of the implementation of the National Roads Authority Act, describing it as illegal.
The Act merged the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads, and the Department of Feeder Roads. However, just a few weeks into its implementation, Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has suspended it.
The Minority, displeased with the move, has called on the Minister to immediately rescind the decision. The caucus argues that neither the Minister nor the executive arm has the power to unilaterally suspend an Act of Parliament.
Speaking on the floor of the House, former Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee and Akim Swedru MP, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, stated that the Act was passed by Parliament and that Article 93(2) of the Constitution makes it clear that legislative authority is vested in the House to make any amendments.
“If the government and the Minister wish to do that, there are processes to follow in achieving the same objective,” he said.
The Minority insisted that the rationale behind the Act was to eliminate overlapping responsibilities between feeder roads, highways, and urban roads, ensuring a harmonized structure in the sector.
*”Mr. Speaker, it is an illegal attempt by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to suspend an Act passed by Parliament without any recourse to the House.
“If the Ministry has any issue with the Act, the proper procedure is to return to Parliament and ensure the right process is followed,”* he stated.
Mr. Nyarko continued:
“For them to unilaterally issue a press statement to suspend an Act of Parliament—which Members of this House passed just recently—is unacceptable. I’m surprised that under the supervision of the Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, such an illegality is happening.”
He warned that allowing such actions to go unchecked could lead to anarchy.
However, Mr. Agbodza defended the suspension, stating that its implementation has caused significant unrest among agencies under his Ministry.
“Its implementation has generated significant unrest between the entities under the Ministry—Feeder Roads, Urban Roads, and Highways,” he said.
He explained that a consensus was reached to temporarily halt the implementation after a meeting with relevant agencies to allow for further consultations.
According to the Minister, concerns have been raised about who should lead the National Roads Authority (NRA), noting that the Director of Urban Roads is currently serving as the Acting Chief Director while still holding his previous position.
“They are complaining that it should be clear whether only one entity—Urban Roads or Feeder Roads—should take the leadership of the NRA. So we are saying that we suspend the implementation for now,” he explained.
Expressing surprise at the remarks of the Akim Swedru MP, Mr. Agbodza clarified:
“There’s no ill motive behind this decision. It is simply to ensure the system works better for the people the law was made for.”
He added that in the coming weeks, the Ministry will engage with the Committee on Roads and Transport in Parliament to provide further updates on the situation.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, who acknowledged the concerns raised, has directed Mr. Agbodza to take the necessary steps to regularize the Ministry’s actions.