Days after losing the 2024 general elections, the Akufo-Addo administration gave Joberg Ghana Limited a contract worth about US$5 million, according to a leaked document from the Ministry of Works and Housing.

18 two- and three-bedroom apartments at Accra's Cantonments are to be built as part of the $4,944,131.07 deal.

It was granted on December 19, 2024, just 12 days after the elections, when Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the then-minister, and the government were well aware of its imminent departure.

The letter, signed by Rev. Stephen Yaw Osei, Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing, and addressed to the CEO of Joberg Ghana Limited, stated: “We write to inform you that the contract for the above-mentioned works has been awarded to your company in the sum of USD 4,944,131.07 for execution and completion within eighteen (18) calendar months.

“You are to contact the undersigned immediately to execute the Contract Agreement and to take possession of the land for the replacement units. Prior to signing the agreement, you are required to furnish us with a letter of acceptance and a Performance Issuance Bond amounting to 40% of the project cost.”

The letter was copied to key officials, including the then-Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; his Deputy, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, who was also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwesimintsim; the Acting Director of Housing, Dr Theresah Tufuor; and the Director of Legal Affairs of the Ministry.

The timing of the contract, has raised concerns, as it was awarded during a transitional period when the outgoing government had limited authority. It remains unclear, whether the incoming Mahama administration, will honour, review, or cancel the deal.

This revelation, has sparked public outcry, with critics questioning the motives behind the rushed approval of such a significant project mere days before a change in government.

However, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Joberg Ghana Limited, Joseph Magnus Martey Marteye, in a telephone conversation with The Herald, insisted that the contract was awarded, following due process and with approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

Mr Marteye, explained that his company, responded to a tender request posted on a platform for architects and submitted a bid over a year ago.

“We submitted a bid, and they engaged the Ghana Institution of Surveyors to conduct a valuation report for the redevelopment of the government flats. The application was then sent to the PPA for approval, which took about three months. Once the approval was granted, the award letter was issued. That’s all,” he stated.

He attributed delays in the process to the PPA’s quarterly meetings, which slowed down approvals. “The approval came on the 5th of December, before the elections, not after. The contract was awarded on the 5th of December 2024, but we received the letter on the 19th of December,” he clarified.

Mr Marteye, stressed that the contract was finalized at a time when the outcome of the election was uncertain, emphasizing that the process had been ongoing for over a year.

On how his company won the bid, he reiterated that they submitted an application for the redevelopment project and were selected through the evaluation process.

He revealed that the company has since met all the terms and conditions of the Ministry that said before “signing the agreement, you are required to furnish us with a letter of acceptance and a Performance Issuance Bond amounting to 40% of the project cost.”

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