Accra: The immediate past Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Mr. Kennedy Osei-Nyarko, has criticized the Ministry of Roads and Highways for suspending the implementation of the National Roads Authority 2024 Act 1118. He contends that the Executive branch does not hold the authority to halt an Act passed by Parliament.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Osei-Nyarko expressed that if the Executive has concerns regarding the Act, the appropriate course of action would be to approach Parliament with a proposed amendment. He conveyed these thoughts during an interview with a section of the media in Parliament on Tuesday.
Mr. Osei-Nyarko also voiced his surprise and disappointment towards the sector Minister, Mr. Governs Kwame Agbodza, for releasing a statement to suspend the Act. This action comes despite Mr. Agbodza's previous criticism of the former government for abolishing road tolls. Mr. Osei-Nyarko urged the Minister to reconsider his decision, withdraw the press release, and issue an apology to Parliament and the citizens of Ghana.
The former chairman, who is also the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, elaborated on the purpose of the Act, which was to address the longstanding issues in the road sector, such as the duplication of roles among various agencies. He emphasized the benefits of having a single authority to manage the three agencies, stating, "We want to utilize the little resources we have. Having one Authority to manage all these three agencies is a very good thing."
He further highlighted that the Act was passed after extensive consultations and at a significant cost, questioning the Executive's power to suspend its implementation. "The question is, does the Executive arm of government have such powers?" he asked.
The Ministry of Roads and Highways has announced the suspension of the implementation of the National Roads Authority Act 2024 (Act 1118) to allow for further stakeholder engagement. Parliament passed Act 1118 in July 2024 to streamline the management of Ghana's road infrastructure by merging the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads, and the Department of Feeder Roads into a unified structure for improved management and coordination.
In a statement issued on February 7, the Ministry explained that the decision to suspend the Act's implementation stems from the Government's commitment to addressing significant concerns raised by key stakeholders.
