The Minority in Parliament has thrown cold water on claims that the contractor for the Afari Military Hospital is demanding US$85 million before returning to site. They say only US$500,000 is outstanding — and that the bigger figure is a cooked-up attempt to steal.

Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, June 16, Deputy Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, said the story pushed by Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi is false. “The Deputy Minister’s assertion that the contractor, Euroget De-Invest (EDI), is demanding US$85 million before returning to the site is a manufactured crisis. Let the facts be clear: no records at the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Defence support this outrageous claim,” he said.

According to Amankwa-Manu, the original contract sum of US$180 million, secured through a loan arrangement, has been fully paid. An additional US$19.3 million negotiated by the government for delays caused by what he called “the NDC’s misguided relocations” has also been fully settled. From a subsequent US$3 million claim — negotiated down from over US$6.5 million — US$2.5 million has been paid. That leaves only US$500,000.

“To jump from an outstanding balance of US$500,000 to a sudden demand for US$85 million isn't just mathematically absurd; it's criminal,” Amankwa-Manu stated. He warned against any attempt to approve the larger claim, describing it with the popular Ghanaian phrase: “Create, Loot, and Share.”

The Afari Military Hospital project, located in the Ashanti Region, has been a political football for years. Started under the previous NDC administration, it was intended to be a 250-bed military hospital serving both soldiers and civilians. But the project stalled, and the contractor — Euroget De-Invest, an Egyptian firm — has been in and out of negotiations with successive governments.

“Any attempt to use the back door to pay this newly generated, unjustified amount of US$85 million can only be described by the popular Ghanaian cliché: ‘Create, Loot, and Share.’” — Kofi Amankwa-Manu

The Minority has demanded that the government abandon the US$85 million claim, pay the US$500,000, and ensure the contractor completes the remaining 2% of work without further delay. “We will fiercely resist this scheme. We demand value for money, and we will protect the public purse,” Amankwa-Manu said.

The Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, had earlier told Parliament that the contractor was demanding the huge sum to return to site, citing outstanding payments and variations. But the Minority says no documents at the Finance Ministry back that claim.

This isn't the first time the Afari hospital project has generated controversy. In 2024, the project was reportedly 98% complete but stalled due to payment disputes. The facility, if completed, would ease pressure on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and provide specialised care for military personnel.

  • Original contract sum: US$180 million (fully paid)
  • Additional funding for delays: US$19.3 million (fully paid)
  • Subsequent claim: US$3 million, negotiated down from US$6.5 million; US$2.5 million paid
  • Outstanding balance: US$500,000
  • Alleged new demand: US$85 million
  • Work remaining: 2%

The Minority has vowed to block any attempt to pay the US$85 million, calling it a fraudulent scheme. The ball is now in the government's court — pay the half-million and finish the job, or face a fight in Parliament.