The allegations made against former Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, that payments made by the government to contractors under its major infrastructure drive, The Big Push project, are merely “audio money”.

According to Minister for Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the finance minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, is adequately funding the project with "real money" to ensure that projects under the initiative are completed on schedule.

“The suggestion that what the finance minister is releasing is ‘audio money’ is simply false. Dr Ato Forson is ensuring that actual funds reach contractors across the country. These are real disbursements for real work, not empty announcements as alleged by the former minister,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu said on Metro TV on Friday, October 31.

He explained that The Big Push project is central to the government’s agenda to transform Ghana’s infrastructure landscape through timely financing and accountability.

He noted that the Big Push project is a key component of the government’s vision to upgrade Ghana’s infrastructure through efficient funding and transparent management.

Adding that the initiative is driving visible progress in the development of roads, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and digital systems.

Kwakye Ofosu also called on the public to ignore politically motivated efforts aimed at undermining the government’s accomplishments.

“This administration is focused on visible, measurable results. Every cedi released under The Big Push is backed by verifiable work on the ground. The facts speak for themselves — contractors are being paid, projects are moving, and communities are benefiting. The finance minister is releasing real money, not ‘audio money," he emphasized.

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has projected a two-year timeline for the completion of all current and upcoming road projects under the government’s “Big Push” initiative.

In an interview with the media on Friday, July 31, Mr Agbodza stated that when road projects were abandoned midway are over, as the government is committed to completing all ongoing and future works within the stipulated timeframe.

According to him, all “Big Push” projects will begin by the end of the month August, excluding the Dambai Bridge, which will commnce once its structural has been finalized.

“The average Ghanaian has come to accept something that is completely unacceptable, because they see road projects start around their backyard, and no one can tell them when it will be completed. We want to reset. ‘Reset’ means we need to change that narrative.

“All the projects have been deliberately structured to span two years, 24 months, and we will not go beyond that,” he said. “Sometimes, a contractor is awarded 100 kilometers of road. People forget that constructing 100 kilometers is not a small undertaking. There may be people who are more interested in how much it costs — they focus on the money involved. So contractors take the job, and for seven or eight years, they do nothing. We want to avoid that,” he added.

Parliament on July 30 unanimously endorsed the government’s proposal to divert all royalties that will be received from oil revenues and mineral royalties to support the implementation of the Big Push Programme.

This comes after the government requested Parliament approve committing funds to assist in the construction of certain road projects. Mr Isaac Adongo, the Chairman of the Parliament's Finance Committee, while presenting the report by the Budget and Finance joint committee to the plenary, said, “the Committee has carefully considered the Referral, and it is of the opinion that the request is in the right direction.”

The Committee also noted that Parliament had already approved the policy and the allocation to the “Big Push” Programme in the 2025 Budget Statement. Granting the request would enable the Government to enter into multi-year contracts to execute the road infrastructure projects under the Programme.

“The Committee accordingly recommends to the House to approve the Request for the multi-year commitments for the selected road projects under the “Big Push” Programme contained in the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana, in accordance with Section 33 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, (Act 921),” Mr Adongo said.

The initiative aimed at improving road infrastructure across the country is estimated at GHC13.8 billion, and it is expected to be completed by 2028 with support from the country’s own financial resources. According to the 2025 budget, GH¢5.75 billion is owed by the Road Fund, with an allocation of GH¢2.81 billion programmed for road maintenance.

This represents a 155.5% increase from the 2024 allocation of GH¢1.1 billion, underscoring the government’s emphasis on sustaining Ghana’s road network. The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, on Wednesday, July 30, revealed that his ministry has undertaken studies and prepared comprehensive engineering interventions and cost estimates for road projects under the Big Push Programme.

The Ministry of Finance has since issued commitment authorizations for some twenty-nine (29) road infrastructure projects under the Big Push Programme which include: Upgrading of Akosombo-Gyakiti-Kudikope Road, Road Dualization of Winneba-Mankessim Road, Rehabilitation of Mankessim-Ajumako-Breman Asikuma-Agona Swedru, Construction of nchi-Elubo Road, and Rehabilitation of Atimpoku-Asikuma Junction Road.