By all accounts, Ghana’s civic space has not always been one where candour meets accountability at the highest levels. Yet, in a moment that may prove consequential, a recent civil society engagement with President John Dramani Mahama— as recounted by Franklin Cudjoe—offered something different: openness, scrutiny, and a willingness, at least in tone, to confront uncomfortable truths.
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, describes the encounter as one of the most productive he has witnessed in a decade.
That judgment is not made lightly. What stood out was not merely the presence of civil society actors, but the diversity and depth of participation—particularly from women in rural communities, who pressed the President on issues ranging from healthcare and education to illegal mining and deeply rooted cultural practices such as witchcraft accusations that continue to marginalise women.
This was not a ceremonial gathering. It was a forum where lived realities confronted political authority.
The defining moment, however, came with the President’s response to an investigative report by The Fourth Estate.
The report raised serious concerns about procurement practices under the government’s flagship “Big Push” infrastructure programme, particularly the heavy reliance on sole sourcing—an approach that, while legally permissible under certain conditions, often raises red flags about transparency and cost efficiency.
In a notable departure from the defensiveness that typically greets such critiques, the President acknowledged the concerns directly. He affirmed a principle that is both simple and frequently violated: while sole sourcing may be legal, competitive tendering remains the gold standard for ensuring value for money.
That acknowledgment matters, says Cudjoe. It signals not just awareness, but a potential shift in posture—from justification to reform.
Yet, as Franklin Cudjoe is quick to point out, the problem is neither new nor confined to a single administration.
Research conducted by IMANI and the Africa Centre for Energy Policy examined roughly 1,000 public contracts over a nine-year period preceding the current presidency. The findings were stark: 95% failed to meet basic procurement standards.
This suggests a systemic issue—one that transcends political cycles and points to deeper institutional weaknesses. Procurement in Ghana, it appears, is less about rules and more about relationships.
The President’s call for an inquiry into the “Big Push” contracts, coupled with a promise to prioritise competitive bidding going forward, is therefore significant. But it also raises a critical question: can reform address symptoms without confronting the underlying incentives that sustain them?
If procurement malpractice is a systemic ailment, the insurance sector may be one of its most revealing case studies.
Just days before the civil society meeting, prominent business leader Sir Sam Jonah issued a stark warning.
He described a growing pattern of political and socio-economic interference in the insurance industry—one that has evolved from occasional disruption into something “more systemic, more embedded, and more dangerous.”
According to Jonah, contracts are increasingly reassigned not on merit, but through political directives and personal connections.
State-linked insurance portfolios, in particular, are allegedly being allocated through influence rather than competitive processes.
These claims are not isolated observations. In a formal petition submitted to the President, IMANI documented troubling trends across multiple insurance institutions:
• Shifts in contract renewals without clear evidence of competitive tendering
• Reduced participation of non-state insurers in major placements
• A growing perception that procurement outcomes are predetermined
• Formal complaints from industry players, including concerns about market distortion and regulatory bias
Taken together, these patterns suggest that what may begin as “policy encouragement” can, over time, harden into informal directives—blurring the line between governance and interference.
Cudjoe’s petition draws a striking parallel to 2014, when similar concerns were raised by the Ghana Insurers Association through the National Insurance Commission.
At the time, the President intervened decisively, reversing directives and reaffirming the principles of merit, value for money, and competition.
That history cuts both ways. On one hand, it reveals a persistent structural problem that has resurfaced despite past corrections. On the other, it establishes a precedent—and a test of credibility.
The argument is clear: if the issue has returned under the same leadership, then so too can the resolve to fix it.
What emerges from this moment is not merely a critique of procurement practices, but a broader reflection on governance. Transparency is not achieved through statements, but through systems. And systems do not reform themselves.
The President’s willingness to acknowledge shortcomings and invite inquiry is a necessary first step. But as Cudjoe implies, it is far from sufficient.
A “root and branch” overhaul of public sector procurement—extending beyond infrastructure into sectors like insurance—is essential if Ghana is to restore market confidence and institutional integrity.
Such reform will require more than technical adjustments. It will demand political restraint—the ability to relinquish informal control over processes that are too often manipulated behind the scenes.
Franklin Cudjoe ends on a note of cautious optimism: the belief that the President listens—and will act.
That optimism is not unfounded. But in a system where procurement has long been vulnerable to collusion and influence, listening must translate into enforcement, and promises into precedent.
The real test lies ahead. Whether this moment becomes a turning point or just another well-articulated pause in a familiar cycle will depend on what follows next.
For now, Ghana has been offered something rare: a glimpse of accountability in motion. Whether it endures is a question only action can answer.
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