20th January 2025 4:28:45 PM
2 mins readThe Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has criticized the procurement and financial handling of the electronic gate (E-Gate) system at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
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He revealed during his vetting before Parliament's Appointments Committee on Monday, January 20, that the project, which reportedly cost $1.7 million, was executed without a formal contract.
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Mr. Agbodza, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Adaklu, disclosed that the E-Gate system was originally part of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) modernization initiatives and was supposed to be implemented at no cost to the government.
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“The E-Gate was supposed to be done for free. If the government had listened to what I was saying, it wouldn’t have resulted in some of the embarrassment we saw at the airport when the former Vice President was trying to commission it. There is not even any contract for the E-Gate. There is no contract for the $1.7 million they were talking about,” Agbodza stated.
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He further explained that the GCAA had been developing a similar system as part of its modernization efforts and described the E-Gate as a complimentary feature under that framework. However, he alleged that the government later prepared a separate memo for the project, incurring unnecessary expenses.
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“When I started talking, this project was already being implemented by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and the E-Gate was supposed to be done for free. So, when I started talking, they went and prepared a memo for it,” he added.
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In December 2024, the E-Gate system was launched at KIA to streamline passenger movement and enhance border security at the arrival terminal. Designed and developed by the Margins Group, an indigenous technology firm, the system was lauded by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during its inauguration. Dr. Bawumia noted that the project had taken four years to complete, showcasing the expertise of local innovators.
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However, the project’s financial claims have been shrouded in controversy. While the E-Gate system was alleged to cost $240 million, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) issued a statement on December 19, 2024, dismissing this figure as inaccurate. Agbodza’s latest revelations add another layer to the concerns surrounding the transparency and accountability of the project’s procurement process.
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