Flood Control Project stalls as government terminates contractor over ‘poor performance’ – Minister
Mr Gilbert Kenneth Adjei, Minister for Works and Housing, has announced that a flood control project along the Nima-Paloma to Odawna river drainage has stalled following the termination of the contractor’s contract.
He cited “poor performance” as the reason for the termination.
Mr Adjei disclosed this on the floor of Parliament on Friday while responding to a question.
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, had asked the Minister to state the timeline for the completion of the reconstruction of the Odawna river drainage system.
“Mr Speaker, the project began in July 2024 and involves the construction of a 1.5-kilometre box culvert along the Odawna river drainage channel. It was scheduled for completion within 18 months, by December 2025.
“Due to poor performance, the contract for this work has been terminated,” the minister said.
According to Mr Adjei, several critical components remained unfinished at the time of termination, heightening concerns for communities in the flood-prone corridor as heavy rains continued to hit Accra and other parts of the country.
He told Parliament that to mitigate immediate risk, the Ministry had initiated steps to undertake emergency interventions while it arranged for a new contractor.
“The planned urgent works include demolition of a power wall within the channel to prevent sediment accumulation and reduce flooding risks and completion of downstream drain structures needed to connect sections of the drainage to the main Odawna channel,” he said.
“Mr Speaker, in the coming days, we will submit to the Ministry of Finance the necessary documents for approval to continue the process,” Mr Adjei stated.
He added that retendering and repackaging of the project could not proceed without commitment authorisation from the Ministry of Finance.
That fiscal clearance, he explained was required before a new contract could be awarded.
The stalled works come at a critical time, as residents and businesses along the Odawna drainage corridor continue to express concerns over their vulnerability to recurrent flooding.
Source: GNA