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The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama’s comment on June 14, 2024, about the success of his government in infrastructure development has reignited debates, especially on social media.
While some argued the former president cannot solely claim credit for certain infrastructural projects including the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), he claimed, were undertaken under his government, others especially his party members have always insisted the projects are his legacy.
In one such posts touting the health infrastructure legacy of John Mahama, Beatrice Annan, one of the members of the campaign team of Mahama, posted a list of health facilities she claimed was built by the former president.
Some of the projects supporters of the NDC claim are Mahama’s achievements in the health sector include the following:
- 420-bed Ridge Hospital Expansion Project
- 275-bed Bolgatanga Regional Hospital
- 617-bed University of Ghana Teaching Hospital
- 250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua-Kumasi
- Construction of district hospitals at Dodowa, Fomena, Kumawu, Abetifi, Tepa, Nsawkaw, Konongo, Salaga, Twifo Praso, Madina (Atomic) and Bekwai
- 500-bed Military Hospital at Afari
- Bank of Ghana Hospital
- 104-bed Police Hospital expansion project
- Construction and equipping of 10 polyclinics in the Central region (Besease, Gomoa Dawurampong, Biriwa, Etsii Sunkwa, and Esikuma Gyamera, Agona Duakwa, Bimpong Akunfude, Ekumfi Naakwa, Twifo Atimokwa, Gomoa Potsin).
- Construction of polyclinics at Nkrankwanta, Wamfie, Kwatire, Techimantia and Bomaa.
- Construction of Health Centres at Amasaman, Doffor, Pokukrom, New Jejeti, Paakro, Gwollu, Funsi, Sang, Buipe, Manso Nkwanta, Abuakwa, Mase Sosekpe, Kedzi, Adamso, Kayoro, Timonde, Bonsu Nkwanta and Dadieso.
- International Maritime Hospital
A list of Health Projects ???? under John Mahama
1. 420-bed Ridge Hospital Expansion Project
2. 386-bed Bolgatanga Regional Hospital
3. 617-bed University of Ghana Teaching Hospital
4. 250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua-Kumasi
5. Construction of district hospitals at…
— Beatrice Annan (@Beatrice_Annan1) June 17, 2024
(See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here).
In a series of reports, Fact-check Ghana presents the facts regarding the building of the projects in question.
The first part of this fact-check report focuses on the Police Hospital’s redevelopment, a number of health centres and polyclinics said to be Mahama’s achievements.
The 2nd Rural Health Services Project
In 2005, the Kufour government signed a US$8.5 million loan agreement from OPEC Funding to construct a number of health facilities including 21 health centres across the country under the Second Rural Health Services Project.
The credit facility, which was approved on September 20 and signed on December 21, 2005, was meant to finance the construction and equipment of the health facilities as well as provide outreach services in remote areas.
About 1,189,690,000 Ghana Cedis (old currency) were disbursed in 2006 for the construction of the projects, according to the 2007 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.
The government, in the 2008 Budget, stated, “Twenty-one new health centres and upgrading of 3 existing health centres to district hospitals also begun under the 2nd Rural Health Services Project funded by OPEC”. (Pg. 159).
In the 2012 Budget Statement presented on November 16, 2011, government announced the completion of the following projects: “19 Health Centres at Manso-Nkwanta, Abuakwa, Pokukrom, Adamsu, Have, Kedzi, Mase Sosokpe, Funsi, Gwollu, Kayoro, Timonde, Sang, Buipe, Amasaman, Doffor, Paakro, New Jejeti, Bonsu-Nkwanta and Dadieso, 2 District Hospitals at Essam and Zabzugu”. (page 164, paragraph 735).
The completion of 19 out of the 21 health centres was repeated in the 2015 Budget Statement presented to Parliament on November 19, 2014. (pg. 25).
The Manso-Nkwanta Health Centre, for instance, was commissioned in June 2010.
Thus, the 19 health centres were initiated by the Kufuor government and completed under the Atta-Mills administration and therefore, cannot be said to be Mr. Mahama and his government’s achievement.
Police Hospital Redevelopment
The redevelopment of the Police Hospital was initiated in 2003 under the Kufour administration.
The move was meant to expand and upgrade the facility, said to have been built in the 1970s, to complement government’s efforts to meet the country’s growing population’s health needs, then Minister of Interior, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang was reported to have said.
According to the 2021 Auditor-General Report on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Ministries, Department and Other Agencies, the redevelopment contract was signed on June 5, 2003, between the Government of Ghana and the International Hospital Group at a total cost of €23,738,312. (pg. 149). It was scheduled to be completed within 36 months.
The Auditor General’s report indicated that the project was 75 percent complete but stalled for 10 years.
In October 2012, 3 months after Mahama replaced Prof. J. E. A Mills as president following the latter’s demise, the Parliament of Ghana approved a loan agreement, totalling £43,784,093 between the government and HSBC Bank Plc for the continuation of the project. (See here).
The redevelopment again stalled, according to the 2021 AG report, due to disagreements between the contractor, IHG, and the government over withholding tax of €259,931.94.
At a Public Accounts Committee of Parliament’s sitting on July 7, 2023, Deputy Minister of Interior, Naana Eyiah told the Committee that the disagreement had been resolved and work was expected to resume on the project. (See here).
From the facts adduced above, the project was initiated by the Kufuor government, continued by the Atta-Mills and Mahama regimes and has continued under the current administration.
Mr. Mahama and his administration cannot, therefore, solely claim credit for the construction of the facility.
Construction of 5 polyclinics
On July 4, 2012, the then Minister of Health under the Atta-Mills government, Alban Sumana Bagbin, laid before Parliament a loan agreement between the government and UniCredit Bank, Austria AG for an amount of €8,650,000 to finance the construction of 5 polyclinics under Phase III of the Polyclinics Development Project.
The projects were to be sited at Kwatire, Wafie, Nkrankwanta, Bomaa and Techimantia in the former Brong-Ahafo Region.
Subsequently, the agreement was referred to the Finance Committee of the House and in its report dated July 16, 2012, the committee recommended approval of the credit facility.
The House adopted the recommendation and passed the agreement few days before the demise of President Atta-Mills (See here).
The project was executed by VAMED Engineering GmbH and Co KG of Austria on a turnkey arrangement and in April 2014, then Minister of Health, Hanny Sherry Ayittey performed a symbolic commissioning at Techimantia, signalling the completion of the five health facilities. (See here and here).
Mr. Mahama, again on June 26, 2015, inaugurated the Bomaa Polyclinic in the Tano North District.
The projects are, therefore, the initiative of the Mills government and continued and completed by the Mahama administration.
In conclusion, while John Mahama contributed at some point to the construction of the 2nd Rural Health Services Projects, Police Hospital Redevelopment, and the five polyclinics (Kwatire, Wafie, Nkrankwanta, Bomaa and Techimantia), they cannot be said to be his legacy projects.
