President John Dramani Mahama has stated that his government will not use political affiliation as a criteria for awarding public contracts, insisting that technical and financial capacity must remain the sole determinant.
Speaking at the Kwahu Easter Business Forum on April 4, 2026, President Mahama revealed that he rejected pressure from within his own National Democratic Congress (NDC) to exclude contractors perceived to be aligned with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) from the government’s flagship “Big Push” road initiative.
The President acknowledged that some NDC supporters had raised concerns about firms linked to the NPP securing projects under the programme. However, he noted that even those raising the objections conceded that the contractors in question possessed the necessary equipment and expertise to execute the work.
“Don’t they have the capacity to do the job?” President Mahama recounted asking his supporters. “They have the equipment. They employ Ghanaians. Anybody who has the capacity to move the project should be given it. For me, it is not about who does the project. The credit is that at the end of my term of office, I was able to repair all those roads.”
The President emphasized that his administration does not apply political criteria in the award of contracts. “I don’t have political colours when I look at the Ghanaian private sector,” he added.
Warning Against Politicisation of Business
The “Big Push” initiative is a major national road rehabilitation programme expected to cover more than 2,000 kilometres of roads across the country.
President Mahama used the forum to caution that the politicisation of business has historically undermined private sector growth, particularly during political transitions. He warned entrepreneurs against building business models solely reliant on government contracts, as such firms become vulnerable when political power changes hands.
“Many companies start and because Ghana is a democratic country, potentially every eight years there is a changeover in government. Often, if a business is seen to be associated with one party or another, victimisation begins,” he said.
Minority Leader’s Warning
The issue of political neutrality in business was also highlighted in a statement delivered on behalf of Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin by the Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
The prepared address warned that politicising indigenous businesses risks weakening their competitiveness. “When we politicise local enterprise, we create an uneven playing field that stifles innovation and discourages risk-taking,” the statement read. “When this happens, it is foreign businesses that profit while our indigenous enterprises struggle.”
The Kwahu Easter Business Forum, now in its third edition, was initiated by President Mahama and Chief of Staff Julius Debrah as a platform to promote dialogue on private sector growth and investment. The 2026 event brought together entrepreneurs, banking executives, and senior government officials.
