President John Dramani Mahama has made it clear that the newly launched Big Push infrastructure programme is strictly for qualified and capable contractors, not small-scale or unqualified operators.
Speaking at the official launch of the programme at Afienya in Accra on Tuesday, September 16, the President said he had received requests from individuals he described as “wheelbarrow contractors” seeking to benefit from the initiative.
However, he emphasised that the Big Push is aimed at fast-tracking major national infrastructure and cannot be compromised.
“There are a few wheelbarrow contractors who have come to me saying, ‘Oh, I hear they are distributing projects under the Big Push. I want one.’ I say, ‘My friend, this is not for wheelbarrow contractors.’ You are my friend, but I won’t give it to you because it is not meant for wheelbarrow contractors,” he said.
Some of these projects were awarded before his administration took office, and rather than terminate them, they have been repackaged under the Big Push to ensure faster completion.
The Big Push programme is a major government initiative aimed at accelerating infrastructure development across the country.
