The Fourth Estate

The Fourth Estate — investigative media outlet, recently reported on attestation document fraud and Big Push road contract procurement practices.

2026-05-132026-09-16

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
15 JunJoy Online
… Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Monday, Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the report was prepared following allegations by The Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) suggesting widespread abuse of the single-source procurement process …
Only 47% of ‘Big Push’ projects awarded through sole-sourcing — Gov’t
15 JunJoy Online
Government says it will publish a detailed 72-page investigative report into allegations of procurement abuse at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, following claims raised by investigative outlet The Fourth Estate on procurement processes related to contracts awarded under the g …
Report on Big Push procurement allegations to be published on Tuesday – Kwakye Ofosu
15 JunJoy Online
… This follows The Fourth Estate’s exposé on procurement processes related to contracts awarded under the government’s Big Push programme. …
Roads Ministry did not breach PPA laws in Big Push contracts – Kwakye Ofosu
15 JunJoy Online
… The justification follows scrutiny triggered by a report from investigative outlet The Fourth Estate, which raised concerns about the scale of sole sourcing in road contract awards. …
Gov’t defends single-source procurement in Big Push contracts, cites urgent national considerations
15 JunJoy Online
… The findings are contained in a 72-page report prepared by the Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, Dr Valerie Sawyer, following allegations by investigative journalism outlet, The Fourth Estate, and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which suggested abu …
90.28% of road contracts awarded through competitive tendering — Gov’t rebuts ‘sole-source factory’ claims
15 JunJoy Online
… According to him, the investigation was triggered after the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), acting on behalf of The Fourth Estate, formally submitted a report to the Presidency alleging irregularities in the procurement processes under the Ministry of Roads and Highways, …
Only 4.58% of road contracts awarded through sole-sourcing — Kwakye Ofosu
15 JunJoy Online
… The enquiry was commissioned following claims published by investigative journalism outlet The Fourth Estate in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa concerning road sector contracts. …
Gov’t to clarify presidency staffing claims and release roads contracts enquiry report
May 2026
13 MayJoy Online
… Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday during discussions on corruption accountability, Mr Asante indicated that the information was requested by MFWA’s The Fourth Estate, in line with statutory provisions intended to promote transparency and public access to offici …
GNFS refuses to release information on Atomic gas explosion, GRA fire despite RTI requests – MFWA claims

Society

MFWA launches legal fund to support journalists facing SLAPPs

The News

The Media Foundation for West Africa has established a Legal Support Fund worth approximately GHS 544,000 to provide legal assistance to journalists and media organisations facing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and other legal threats arising from their professional work in Ghana. The fund is part of the African Media Integrity and Resilience Programme funded by the European Union.

8 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 8 September

MFWA launches legal fund to support journalists facing SLAPPs
The Media Foundation for West Africa has established a Legal Support Fund worth approximately GHS 544,000 to provide legal assistance to journalists and media organisations facing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and other legal threats arising from their professional work in Ghana. The fund is part of the African Media Integrity and Resilience Programme funded by the European Union.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 3 September

Foreign Affairs Ministry commends Fourth Estate attestation investigation
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commended The Fourth Estate for an investigative report into attestation services and announced measures to improve the service and prevent middlemen. The Ministry clarified that the person implicated in the investigation is not its staff member, stating he has been sanctioned by his institution, reported to law enforcement, and prohibited from entering the Ministry's premises.
3 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Foreign Affairs Ministry condemns middlemen in attestation document fraud
Following an undercover investigation by The Fourth Estate into irregularities in attestation services, Ghana's Foreign Affairs Ministry has condemned unscrupulous middlemen exploiting citizens seeking attestation documents. The Ministry stated that the implicated individual is not a staff member, has been sanctioned by his institution, reported to law enforcement, and barred from Ministry premises.
3 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 26 August

MFWA challenges CAGD refusal to disclose Mahama Cares deduction details
The Media Foundation for West Africa has referred the Controller and Accountant General's Department to the Right to Information Commission after the Department refused to release information on salary deductions for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), citing confidentiality protections under the Right to Information Act.
26 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 23 August

Afenyo-Markin says Nkoko Nkitinkiti poultry scheme has failed
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has claimed the government's Nkoko Nkitinkiti poultry initiative is failing, stating that the Minister for Food and Agriculture acknowledged some beneficiaries have slaughtered and consumed the birds distributed to them for rearing instead of using them for farming and income generation.
23 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 11 August

Presidential staffer challenges Fourth Estate's Big Push report accuracy
A presidential staffer has disputed The Fourth Estate's reporting on a Presidential Committee investigation into sole-sourced contracts under Ghana's Big Push infrastructure programme, claiming official records contradict key claims in the media outlet's March 2026 publication about sole-sourcing in the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 19 June

NPP director accuses Mahama administration of clearing officials
Nana Akomea, communications director for Bawumia's presidential campaign, has accused the Mahama administration of using internal investigations to clear public officials accused of wrongdoing—a practice he says mirrors what the NDC previously condemned. His comments followed an investigation by the Presidency into allegations of sole-sourcing of road contracts, inflated values, and irregular spending at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, which found no wrongdoing.
19 June 2026 · The Chronicle →

Wednesday 17 June

Institutions illegally charging excessive fees for public information access
Ghana's Right to Information Act guarantees free access to official information, capping reproduction costs at 38 pesewas per A4 page, yet institutions including the Electoral Commission, Registrar of Companies, and Ghana Meteorological Agency are demanding illegal charges ranging from thousands of cedis, undermining constitutional transparency rights.
17 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 16 June

Government says 90% of 2025-2026 road contracts awarded competitively
The Minister of State for Government Communications has dismissed allegations of abuse in single-source procurement by the Ministry of Roads and Highways under the Big Push infrastructure programme, stating that a government investigation found more than 90 per cent of road contracts awarded in 2025 and 2026 were procured through open competitive tendering.
16 June 2026 · The Chronicle →
MFWA demands Roads Ministry publish details of road contracts
The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa has called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to publicly disclose details of more than 1,000 road contracts it claims were awarded through open competitive tendering, after the government defended its procurement practices against allegations of sole-sourcing in its Big Push road infrastructure programme.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 15 June

Government says 47% of Big Push projects awarded through sole-sourcing
The government defended its 'Big Push' infrastructure programme, revealing through a 72-page investigative report commissioned by President Mahama that 47.14 per cent of contracts were awarded through sole-source procurement, contrary to allegations of widespread non-competitive contract awards.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Government to publish procurement audit report Tuesday
The government says it will release a 72-page investigative report on Tuesday into allegations of procurement abuse at the Ministry of Roads and Highways under the Big Push infrastructure programme, following claims raised by The Fourth Estate and forwarded by the Media Foundation for West Africa.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Government says Roads Ministry did not breach procurement laws
Government has stated that the Ministry of Roads and Highways did not breach any procurement laws in awarding contracts under the Big Push infrastructure programme, with Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu saying a 72-page presidential review report concluded the Ministry's procurement decisions were lawful and justified under urgent national circumstances.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Government defends single-source Big Push road contracts as lawful
Government says its use of single-source procurement for 47.14% of Big Push road contracts complied with Ghana's procurement laws and was justified by urgent national considerations and the need for accelerated infrastructure delivery. A 72-page presidential review found the Ministry of Roads and Highways acted within the Public Procurement Act, 2003.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
90.28% of road contracts awarded through competitive tendering
The government says that 90.28 per cent of all road contracts awarded since 2025 were subjected to competitive procurement procedures, according to a 72-page report by the Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs following allegations of sole-source procurement abuse by investigative outlets.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Government says only 4.58% of road contracts used sole-sourcing
The government has dismissed allegations that the Ministry of Roads and Highways abuses sole-source procurement, revealing that only 4.58 per cent of road contracts awarded under the current administration were procured through sole-sourcing. A 72-page investigative report commissioned by President John Mahama found no evidence of widespread abuse of sole-source procurement in road contract awards.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Government to clarify presidency staffing claims and release roads report
The Government Communications Minister announced a press briefing to clarify "false claims" regarding Presidency staffing and resignations of public officials, and to release findings from a Presidential Enquiry into Ministry of Roads and Highways contracts following investigative reports.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 13 May

GNFS declines to release Atomic gas explosion and GRA fire information
The Ghana National Fire Service has declined to release information about the Atomic gas explosion and a GRA office fire at Circle in response to Right to Information requests made by the Media Foundation for West Africa, citing the involvement of third parties.
13 May 2026 · Joy Online →