On or about the middle of December, 2025, the Parliament of Ghana approved an amount of $1.7 billion (one point seven billion dollars) for the Ministry of Roads for the onwards disbursement to a company known as the Accra –Kumasi Expressway Limited.
Checks as at Friday with deep throat sources at the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) however reveal that there is no company incorporated with such a name.
The revelation puts into bare focus the level of scrutiny by Parliament, which is now controlled by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
It also brings into bare focus the level of legal oversight by the Attorney-General, who is the principal legal advisor to the government, and whether the Attorney-General is exercising necessary due diligence when such huge funds are in play.
Earlier, on 13 November 2025, the government of Ghana had proposed that it intended to dedicate an amount of $1.7 billion of public funds to the Accra–Kumasi Expressway in the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy read by Minister of Finance Dr. Ato Forson.
This also raises the question of the amount of due diligence by the Minister of Finance and his Ministry, particularly as to how they came to the conclusion that this is the amount of money necessary for the project. In any due diligence exercise, incorporation of the receiving entity would be the first place to begin.
The Accra to Kumasi Expressway is part of the Big Push Infrastructure Projects, a key policy measure of the current government and President John Dramani Mahama.
Incorporation under Ghana law is fundamental in any dealings with the Ministry of Finance and all agencies. It is also a necessity to even open a bank account for receivables and payments.
Evidence available to the public however demonstrate that this company, said to be a fully-owned government of Ghana entity, has engaged in numerous activities, funded by a means that is yet to be made clear.
Parliament has also not created an Act for its creation, meaning that colossal government and public funds is headed its way with no clear means of accountability.
How Ghana’s parliament, which has a very active Minority representation (Mighty Minority) came to approve the funds for this company, will also require a level of scrutiny. As the elders say, ‘Ghanaians may be sleeping with their feet resting outside the door’.
Over the past week, the company has engaged in a publicity blitzkrieg through its Chief Executive Mr. Francis Ahlidza, whose appointment and selection as the Chief Executive Officer is under an opaque veil.
In various interviews, he has claimed that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway is expected to be operated and maintained for 50 years under a government-owned company established specifically to manage the project.
Mr. Francis Ahlidza said that the company will use tolling revenue generated from the expressway to recover the cost of construction and maintenance over the concession period.
Speaking on Joy News’ The Pulse on Monday, September 14, Mr Ahlidza said the company was established in 2025 after Parliament approved the concession for it to undertake the project.
He explained that the company’s mandate extends beyond the construction of the expressway to its long-term operation and maintenance.
“The company is entrusted with not just the construction of the project, but the design, the construction, and the maintenance for the next 50 years,” he said.
Mr Ahlidza said throughout the 50-year period, the company will be responsible for maintaining and operating the facility while raising revenue through tolling.
He explained that the revenue will be used to pay for the construction and maintenance of the expressway while ensuring that the road remains at the required standard throughout its design life.
“The company, within the construction and the rest of the 50 years, has to maintain the road, to operate the facility, and also raise money through tolling to be able to pay back for both the construction and the maintenance within this period,” he said.
He added that the arrangement is intended to ensure that the level of service on the expressway remains consistent throughout the design life of the project.
The development comes after the Ghana Armed Forces completed the clearance and definition of the right of way for the proposed expressway.
Mr Ahlidza said the project has now moved into the procurement stage, with the designs completed and construction firms expected to be shortlisted based on their capacity to undertake the project.
Construction is expected to begin in January 2027, with government expected to cut the sod before the end of 2026.
(More soon).
