The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ghana has expressed worry over the many abandoned government projects recorded in the country over the past several years.
The Bishops say it is worrying that, though Article 35, clause 7 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana enjoins governments to continue projects started by previous administrations, the opposite is what has become the norm.
The Bishops, in a statement issued at the end of their 2019 plenary assembly in Elmina, is appealing to the Akufo-Addo-led government to focus on already-commenced projects to bring relief to the affected communities.
”The Constitution of Ghana (Article 35, clause 7) states that a new Government shall continue with projects left behind by previous Governments. We therefore deplore the culture where Governments come into office only to discontinue projects started by previous Governments. We are disturbed to see that many projects in areas of education, health, housing and roads started by the previous Governments are abandoned. We hereby appeal to the Government to hasten to complete ongoing projects to bring relief to the affected communities,” the Bishops said.
According to the Auditor General’s report, abandoned and unused projects in at least 40 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) cost the state over GH¢ 30 million in 2017.
The losses and abandoned projects contributed to what the Auditor General classified as contract irregularities.
Whilst other major irregularities saw a drop in 2017 from 2016, the contract irregularities increased from GH¢ 26,839,675.97 to GH¢ 31,224,856.72.
In general, the irregularities for 2017, showed a 41.67% fall of GH¢29,243,646.43 from the 2016 figure of GH¢70,173,645.97
