The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected claims that the Afari Military Hospital project in Kumasi is only about 60 per cent complete, insisting that official records show the facility is almost finished.
In a statement issued by the party’s Policy Secretariat, the NPP said the 500-bed hospital had reached 98 per cent completion as of January 2025, describing contrary claims as inaccurate.
The party said records from the Project Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Defence showed that the core hospital was 92.5 per cent complete in September 2024, with overall progress later rising to 98 per cent.
According to the statement, civil works on the core hospital stood at 97.5 per cent, architectural works at 87 per cent, support facilities including staff housing at 77 per cent, roads at 80 per cent, and landscaping at 77 per cent as of September 2024.
The NPP explained that the remaining work involved completing outstanding items rather than restarting construction.
Outstanding Payment
The party also addressed claims that the government needed about US$85 million before work could resume, saying there were no records at the Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Defence to support such a figure.
It stated that the original contract sum of US$180 million, which was financed through a loan, had been fully paid.
The party added that an additional negotiated payment of US$19.3 million related to delays caused by earlier relocation issues had also been settled.
It further indicated that a separate claim initially above US$6.5 million was negotiated down to US$3 million, with US$2.5 million already paid. According to the statement, the only outstanding amount owed to the contractor was US$500,000.
Project History
The NPP said the Afari Military Hospital project was first contracted in 2008 for a site at Sofoline in Kumasi before it was relocated several times and eventually moved to Afari, where physical construction began in 2014.
The party said completion stood at about 40 per cent by December 2016 but increased from roughly 40 per cent to 98 per cent between 2017 and January 2025.
It rejected suggestions that no significant work had been done on the project during that period, saying the records showed continued progress.
Call for Completion
The party said it wanted the facility completed and operational to serve personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces and residents of the Ashanti Region.
It called for the outstanding US$500,000 payment to be settled, remaining works completed, and any additional payment requests backed by verifiable records before public funds were committed.
The statement was signed by Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, Co-chair of the NPP Policy Committee on Health.
The party also urged its senior members to ensure that public comments on the project reflected verified facts and the official position of the party.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
