The Minority Caucus in Parliament has strongly condemned recent claims by the Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, regarding the Afari Military Hospital project, describing them as factually inaccurate and part of a deliberate scheme to siphon US$85 million from public funds.
During a press engagement at the Parliament foyer, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee and former Deputy Defence Minister, Kofi Amankwa Manu accused the government of attempting to inflate the project’s costs unjustifiably. He challenged claims that the hospital, a 500-bed facility, is only 60% complete, citing official records indicating the project is far more advanced.
According to Mr. Amankwa Manu the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Ministry of Defence, as of September 2024, the core hospital was 92.5% complete, and by January 2025, under the previous administration, the overall completion rate had reached 98%. The project’s components—civil works, architectural finishes, support facilities, roads, and landscaping—are reported to be near completion.
The caucus also dismissed allegations that the contractor, Euroget De-Invest (EDI), is demanding US$85 million before returning to the site. They clarified that no official records support this claim. The government’s own documentation shows the original contract sum of US$180 million was fully paid, along with an additional US$19.3 million for delays caused by relocations under the previous NDC administration, and US$2.5 million of a US$3 million claim. The only remaining payment owed to the contractor is US$500,000.
The caucus criticized the government for what they described as a history of mismanagement and delays dating back to 2008, when the project was initially contracted under President J.A. Kufuor. The project was relocated multiple times during the NDC’s tenure, causing significant delays and cost overruns, with the project only reaching 40% completion by December 2016.
The Minority Caucus emphasized their commitment to safeguarding public funds and insisted that the government must abandon the unfounded US$85 million claim, pay the remaining US$500,000, and allow the contractor to complete the project without further delay.
They concluded by warning against any scheme driven by the notion of “create, loot, and share,” stressing that their primary goal is to see the hospital completed for the benefit of Ghana Armed Forces and the people of the Ashanti Region.
