The mention of over $3 million in the last 48 hours has brought about discussions about how much such an amount is, particularly when it comes to developmental projects in a country like Ghana.

As a refresher, the said amount is at the centre of a controversy regarding what was paid or not paid to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation for the coverage of the 13th All African Games held in Accra at the start of 2024.

During his appearance at the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament sitting on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, said the state broadcaster, GBC, was allocated over $3.6 million for the coverage of the 13th All African Games.

The management of the state broadcaster, however, refuted the claim of the minister, stating that it only received $105,000.

The Ministry of Sports has since issued a statement giving a breakdown of the $3 million.

However, the management of GBC has not changed its stance, stating that it has documentation showing that the government paid it only $105,000 for the coverage of the All African Games.

Taking the $105,000 out of the $3.6 million means that more than $3.5 million (over GH¢54 million at the current exchange rate) of state funds is now missing and may, as some people believe, have been misappropriated or stolen.

That ties into the subjects of corruption in the public service and misappropriation of state funds, which are major challenges to the development process of Ghana as a country.

For instance, too, it is estimated that Ghana loses more than $3 billion to corruption every year, robbing the country of much-needed resources for its development.

Reports on accounts of state entities by the Office of the Auditor-General have consistently revealed gross misappropriation of state funds to the tune of millions of Ghana cedis every year.

This matter in point may not be a case of either corruption or misappropriation, but while state authorities work at getting to the bottom of the matter, GhanaWeb details some projects and expenditure obligations the $3.5 million (nearly GH¢55 million) could have been used for.

The article is, there, to paint a picture of the magnitude of $3 million and the sorts of developmental projects in Ghana it can take care of.

Phase One of the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport:

Phase One of the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport is believed to cost around GH¢52 million, and the over $3.5 million can be used to finance it.

Road projects the $3.5 million can be used to finance:

These ‘missing’ funds could have done some good for a number of road projects, including:

1. Construction of 750mm Diameter Concrete U-drain (135m) on Goaso-Akrodie Road (km 0+905-1+040 RHS): Lot 4 - GH¢197,098.

2. Construction of 750mm Diameter Concrete U-drain (135m) on Goaso-Akrodie Road (km 1+175-1+310 RHS): Lot 6 – GH¢198,455

3. Construction of 600mm Diameter Concrete U-drain (180m) on Goaso-Gambai No. 2 Road (km 32+750-32+930 LHS): Lot 8 - GH¢199,207

4. Construction of (1,150m) Concrete Kerbs on Goaso-Gambai No. 2 (km 0+200-0+600 LHS), (km 1+100-1+200 RHS), (km 11+100-11+300 RHS) Road and Goaso-Akrodie Road (km 0+500-0+850): Lot 9 - GH¢197,563

5. Construction of (1,150m) Concrete Kerbs on Goaso-Akrodie (km 0+850-1+000) and (Ayomsu-Goaso 500m B/S): Lot 10 - GH¢196,875

All these kilometres of road cost the state less than GH¢1 million. Imagine the number of kilometres of road GH¢50 million can be used for.

Alternatively, this money could have been used to pay for the upgrading of the Assin Akropong-Odomasi Asibrem 22.18km road, which is believed to cost around GH¢54 million.

It could have also paid for the upgrading of Kyibosohasowodze bungalow feeder road (14.50km), which costs around GH¢30 million.

Also, the money could have been used to pay for more than half of the rehabilitation of the selected roads in Teshie Camp, Southern Command, Military Academy Training School Roads, and partial reconstruction of selected roads in Accra – LOT 1 (44.49KM); construction of Sunyani By-Pass Outer Ring from Kumasi Berekum Road, which costs around GH¢80 million.

One Constituency, One million dollars:

One of the promises of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government that has not been realised is the One Constituency, $1 million promise.

At least the ‘missing’ $3.5 million could have been used to realise this promise for 3 constituencies.

One Constituency, One Dam:

The government estimated that it costs GH¢250,000 to construct ten Small Earth Dams in its One Constituency, One Dam programme.

With GH¢50 million, more than 20,000 earth dams could have been constructed across the country.

Payment of allowance of NABCO trainees:

Trainees of the Nations Builders Corps programme (NABCO), which ended in 2021, are believed to be owed 2 to 9 months arrears of their GH¢700 monthly stipends. Even if the number of trainees owed was around 80,000, the $2.9 million could have been used to pay one month's arrears of the trainees.

Payment of Student Loans:

The government in June 2024 released GH¢20 million for the payment of loans to over 10,000 students in various private and public tertiary institutions across the country. This $3.5 million can be used to give loans to more than double the number of students.

BAI/AE

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Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.