The Minority in Parliament has raised strong concerns over what it describes as a significant escalation in costs and alleged financial irregularities surrounding the stalled Afari Military Hospital project, cautioning that the approval of additional payments could amount to improper use of public funds.
A delegation from the Parliamentary Health Committee visited the yet-to-be-commissioned 500-bed Afari Military Hospital on June 10, 2026, where they expressed disappointment over continued delays in completing and operationalising the facility. The MPs warned that the prolonged stagnation was affecting healthcare delivery in the Ashanti Region.
The Minority criticised the administration of President John Mahama, accusing it of failing to complete and put into use several stalled health infrastructure projects across the country. They called for urgent measures to ensure the hospital is completed and made operational.
However, the government has defended the situation, explaining that the contractor is demanding the payment of alleged arrears amounting to $85 million before returning to site to continue work.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Member of Parliament for Atwima Kwanwoma, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, strongly rejected the financial claim, describing it as unjustified and alarming.
“The $85 million, it’s not just mathematically absurd, it is indeed criminal,” he said, insisting that the figures being circulated pointed to serious issues in the financial handling of the project.
The Minority further argued that the hospital project has suffered years of mismanagement, with repeated delays, contract variations, and alleged administrative lapses contributing to its current state.
According to Amankwa-Manu, the project—originally awarded in 2008—has undergone several changes in scope and execution timeline, which he claims have driven up costs and triggered additional claims by the contractor.
“Let the record show, as of December 2016, the project stood at only 40% complete,” he noted, adding that meaningful progress only resumed years later.
He further claimed that what initially began as a significantly lower contract value has now escalated into a disputed additional claim of $85 million, which the Minority insists is unacceptable.
The caucus is therefore urging the government to reject what it describes as inflated demands and focus instead on completing the remaining works without further cost adjustments.
“We will fiercely resist this scheme. We demand value for money, and we will protect the public purse,” Amankwa-Manu warned, adding that any approval of the payment would amount to what he called a “create, loot, and share” arrangement.
