The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has disclosed that the government is considering referring two quantity surveyors to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over alleged attempts to manipulate compensation claims for properties affected by road projects.
According to the Minister, some surveyors allegedly persuade project-affected persons to reject valuations conducted by authorised government institutions, while promising to secure compensation amounts several times higher than the original assessments.
He said the practice was putting an unnecessary strain on public finances and contributing to delays in the implementation of road projects.
“We are looking at the possibility of reporting two of those people to EOCO for investigation,” Mr Agbodza said.
He warned that surveyors who deliberately encourage property owners to reject legitimate government valuations in anticipation of securing inflated compensation could be subjected to investigations.
The Minister made the disclosure during an inspection of asphalt works on the two-kilometre Feyiase-Sewua Regional Hospital access road in the Ashanti Region.
The project, being executed by Kofi Job Construction Limited, forms part of efforts to improve road connectivity and access to key facilities in the area.
Mr Agbodza alleged that some individuals approach property owners after government valuation teams have completed their assessments and convince them to reject the amounts offered, claiming they can negotiate substantially higher compensation.
He said such actions could lead to affected persons seeking court injunctions, resulting in delays to road projects and additional costs to the state.
The Minister questioned how private surveyors could arrive at valuations significantly higher than assessments conducted by professionals working with institutions such as the Ghana Highway Authority and the Department of Urban Roads.
He noted that the professionals involved in the valuation process are trained in the same field and operate under established procedures and standards.
Mr Agbodza, however, assured property owners whose lands or properties are acquired for road projects that the government would continue to compensate them in accordance with the law.
He commended project-affected persons who had cooperated with the government during compensation processes for the Accra-Kumasi Expressway and other road projects.
The Minister stressed that challenges associated with inflated compensation claims were not limited to the Ashanti Region, noting that similar situations had been encountered in Accra and other parts of the country.
He urged property owners affected by road projects to rely on assessments conducted by authorised government institutions and avoid engaging individuals seeking to renegotiate compensation through potentially inflated claims.
