Minority blames NDC for delays in Afari Military Hospital project

The Minority in Parliament has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of mismanaging the long-delayed Afari Military Hospital project, dismissing claims that previous administrations failed to prioritise its completion.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, argued that the history of the project demonstrates what he described as years of poor decision-making and political interference under previous NDC administrations.

According to him, the project was initially awarded in 2008 during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor and was originally planned for Sofoline in Kumasi.

Mr. Amankwa-Manu alleged that after the NDC assumed office in 2009, the project was repeatedly relocated from Kumasi to Tamale, then to Accra, before finally being sited at Afari in the Ashanti Region. He claimed these changes significantly delayed implementation and increased costs.

“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 stated.

The Minority further contended that despite spending eight years in office, the NDC made limited progress on the hospital project.

According to Mr. Amankwa-Manu, physical construction only commenced in 2014, and by the time the NDC left office in January 2017, the facility was approximately 40 percent complete.

“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.

He credited the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration with advancing the project from 40 percent completion to about 98 percent by January 2025.

“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 queried.

A major focus of the Minority’s concerns is an alleged US$85 million claim associated with the completion of the hospital.

Mr. Amankwa-Manu described the amount as excessive and unjustifiable, insisting that Parliament must scrutinise any request for payment linked to the project.

According to him, the Minority would strongly oppose any effort to approve the claim without clear justification and proper value-for-money assessments.

“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.

He further alleged that attempts were being made to facilitate payment through unofficial channels, warning against what he described as efforts to bypass accountability measures.

“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.

While reaffirming support for the completion and operationalisation of the Afari Military Hospital, the Minority stressed that public funds must be managed prudently and transparently.

The hospital is expected to serve personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces as well as residents of the Ashanti Region by improving access to specialised healthcare services.

Mr. Amankwa-Manu maintained that completing the facility should remain a national priority but cautioned that the process must not become an avenue for wasteful expenditure or questionable financial commitments.

“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.

The controversy surrounding the project is expected to generate further debate in Parliament as questions continue to be raised over its cost, timeline, and the financial implications of bringing the facility into full operation.