A Rare Moment of Candour: Procurement, Power, and the Promise of Reform in Ghana (Tunes from Franklin Cudjoe's notes)
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, describes a recent civil society engagement with President John Dramani Mahama as one of the most productive he has witnessed in a decade. The President acknowledged concerns about procurement practices under the government's "Big Push" infrastructure programme and affirmed that while sole sourcing may be legal, competitive tendering remains the gold standard for ensuring value for money. The President also called for an inquiry into the "Big Push" contracts and promised to prioritise competitive bidding going forward.
The civil society engagement included participation 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. 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 and found that 95% failed to meet basic procurement standards. Business leader Sir Sam Jonah issued a warning about a growing pattern of political and socio-economic interference in the insurance industry.
IMANI submitted a formal petition to the President documenting troubling trends across multiple insurance institutions, including 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, and formal complaints from industry players.
Quick Summary
Ghana's President Mahama engaged with civil society, including Franklin Cudjoe, on procurement and governance issues-a rare moment of candour. Concerns about sole sourcing and political interference in the insurance sector were raised, hinting at systemic challenges.
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