The government has warned surveyors, lawyers and other intermediaries who allegedly manipulate property compensation claims and frustrate major road projects that they risk being reported to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Governs Kwame Agbodza, said the government would no longer tolerate what he described as deliberate attempts by some individuals to inflate compensation claims and use legal processes to delay critical road projects across the country.
He said the practice was particularly worrying because some third parties allegedly approached Project Affected Persons (PAPs) and persuaded them to reject valuations conducted on behalf of the state, promising to secure compensation packages several times higher than the original assessment.
The Minister made the disclosure during an inspection tour of the Sewia and Lake Road project in the Ashanti Region yesterday.
Compensation manipulation
According to Mr Agbodza, while the majority of people affected by government road projects accepted the official valuations placed on their properties, some individuals had taken advantage of compensation disputes for personal financial gain.
He explained that the intermediaries often promised PAPs compensation increases of between four and six times the government’s original valuation, in return for substantial commissions from the eventual payouts.
“The percentage of money that goes to those people depends on how much they promise they can get,” the Minister stated.
He said the system created an incentive for some intermediaries to deliberately inflate claims because the higher the compensation they secured, the larger their commissions became.
“So the higher they jack up the price, the more money they get. Very soon, EOCO will be at your door to actually justify why you think you can get that project-affected person four times the amount,” he warned.
Mr Agbodza said the government was prepared to investigate such activities to determine whether there was evidence of fraud, collusion or other forms of financial misconduct.
Konongo bypass
The Minister’s warning comes against the backdrop of serious challenges confronting some major road projects, particularly the Konongo bypass on the Accra-Kumasi corridor.
The bypass, which is expected to provide an alternative route for traffic and ease congestion along the busy Accra-Kumasi highway, has been affected by compensation disputes, legal challenges and resistance from some affected persons.
Mr Agbodza said some of the challenges were being fuelled by individuals who had an interest in prolonging compensation negotiations.
He said court injunctions and other legal actions had, in some instances, prevented contractors from accessing project sites and continuing construction works.
The situation, he noted, had contributed to delays in completing projects that were considered critical to the country’s road transport network.
Workers attacked
The Minister also raised concerns about incidents of physical attacks on workers engaged on road projects.
He disclosed that workers of Kofi Job Construction, the contractor working on the Konongo bypass, were recently assaulted by armed individuals when they attempted to return to the project site.
The incident, he said, underscored the seriousness of the security challenges confronting the project and the need for stronger collaboration among the government, security agencies, traditional authorities and affected communities.
The Konongo area has for years been identified as one of the major traffic bottlenecks on the Accra-Kumasi trunk route, with congestion particularly affecting commercial vehicles, private motorists and freight operators.
The completion of the bypass is therefore expected to improve traffic flow and reduce pressure on the existing route.
Government’s 2027 target
Despite the challenges, Mr Agbodza reaffirmed the government’s determination to complete all major bypass projects by its self-imposed 2027 deadline.
He said the government remained committed to improving the country’s road infrastructure and would not allow compensation disputes, illegal interference or security challenges to permanently derail strategically important projects.
He also sought to allay concerns that the proposed new Accra-Kumasi Expressway could render existing routes and projects irrelevant.
According to him, the expressway is intended to complement existing transport infrastructure rather than replace or abandon ongoing road projects.
He said the various projects should be viewed as part of a broader strategy to improve connectivity, reduce travel time and strengthen the movement of people and goods across the country.
Surveying bill
To address some of the systemic problems associated with property valuation and compensation disputes, the Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources was finalising a bill to regulate the land surveying profession.
The proposed legislation, he said, would provide a stronger regulatory framework for surveying activities and help address practices that contribute to disputes over land acquisition and compensation.
The government believes that a more robust regulatory system would help ensure that property valuations are professionally conducted and that affected persons receive fair compensation without undue interference from third parties.
Ashanti Regional Minister intervenes
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, also expressed concern about the difficulties surrounding the Konongo bypass and pledged to engage all relevant stakeholders to find a lasting solution.
He said he would convene discussions involving traditional leaders, affected residents and other stakeholders at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC).
Dr Amoakohene stressed that the government had a responsibility to ensure that persons whose properties had legitimately been acquired for public infrastructure projects were properly compensated.
He said the government would also take steps to provide security for contractors if the situation required it.
“If we have to escort the contractor with security, we have to do that,” he stated.
He, however, said security intervention would be preceded by stakeholder engagement to address the underlying concerns and build confidence among affected communities.
“But ahead of that, we have to engage all the stakeholders and give those assurances that every land that has been taken will definitely be compensated. We can’t allow Konongo to be in the state that it is in now,” Dr Amoakohene stressed.
Call for stakeholder cooperation
The developments have renewed calls for cooperation among government agencies, traditional authorities, landowners, contractors and other stakeholders to resolve compensation and security concerns surrounding major infrastructure projects.
Road projects require the acquisition of private lands and properties in some areas, making timely and transparent compensation an important component of project implementation.
The government is therefore expected to intensify engagements with affected communities while also taking measures against individuals whose activities are found to deliberately undermine public infrastructure projects.
For the Konongo bypass, the immediate priority remains the restoration of construction activities and the creation of a secure environment in which the contractor can return to site.
The government has maintained that once legitimate compensation obligations are established and addressed, no individual or group should be allowed to use intimidation, violence or improper legal processes to prevent the execution of a project considered vital to national development.
With the 2027 completion target approaching, the resolution of the compensation and security challenges surrounding the bypass is expected to be critical to easing one of the country’s most persistent traffic bottlenecks on the Accra-Kumasi corridor.
