By Kizito CUDJOE
The former Chairman-Roads and Transport Committee of 8th Parliament, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has condemned suspending implementation of the National Roads Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1118), calling the decision unlawful, dangerous and costly to the country’s road infrastructure management.
Mr. Osei Nyarko warned that suspending the legislation could among others weaken efforts to improve transportation infrastructure. “This suspension is not only unlawful but also threatens the efficiency and sustainability of road management in the country.”
The Ministry of Roads and Highways, in a statement, announced the suspension to allow for further stakeholder engagement. The Act, passed by parliament last year, was designed to streamline management of the country’s road infrastructure by merging three key agencies – the Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads and Department of Feeder Roads – into a single entity for improved coordination and efficiency.
Speaking alongside former Deputy Minister for Transport Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, Osei Nyarko argued that the Act was meant to address long-standing inefficiencies, overlapping responsibilities and resource constraints in the road sector.
“At the Roads and Highways Ministry, we have three agencies – the Highways Authority, Urban Roads and Feeder Roads – all mandated to manage the country’s road networks. Their overlapping responsibilities create discrepancies and inefficiencies, placing a strain on the ministry’s limited resources,” he said.
He added that duplication of efforts slows down projects and results in inadequate road maintenance.
Because of these overlaps, projects are delayed and maintenance suffers. The Act’s goal was to consolidate these agencies under a single authority to improve planning, ensure efficient resource use and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, he explained.
He said: “Having one authority to manage all these three agencies – Federal Roads, Highways and Urban Roads – definitely in terms of planning, it will know the various work schedules for each of the agencies beneath it”.
Furthermore, the Roads and Transport Committee’s former chairman asserted that there was an extensive stakeholder consultation before the Act came to parliament.
“Even when it comes to the Committee, we ask for reports on the stakeholder consultation. We look at all these things to make sure we are convinced everybody, every stakeholder within that matters, has been consulted.”
He stated: “We spent a lot of resources, time and everything to go through and pass this Act, only for the new government led by its minister to issue a press statement that it has suspended implementation of an Act of parliament.”
On the back of this, Mr. Osei Nyarko questioned whether the executive branch of government or the Ministry of Roads and Highways had the authority to suspend an Act of parliament.
“The legislative powers of Ghana are vested in parliament, as outlined in Article 93(2) of the Constitution. If government has concerns with the Act, the proper procedure is a return to parliament to seek amendments – not issue an executive suspension,” he said.
He also alleged that the National Labour Commission (NLC) advised the ministry to suspend the Act, a move he deemed inappropriate. “The NLC is an independent body created by an Act of parliament. If it believes some workers will be affected by the law, there are two options: petition parliament or seek judicial review. It has no authority to request the suspension of an Act,” he said.
Mr. Osei Nyarko therefore urged the Minister for Roads and Highways to withdraw the suspension and apologise to parliament for what he described as an unconstitutional decision.
“This unilateral action undermines the work of parliament. The minister must reverse the suspension and follow due process if changes to the law are required,” he said.
