A monitoring exercise by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has revealed a mixed picture of petroleum revenue-funded projects in the Volta Region.
The inspection uncovered delays in usage, construction defects, missing components, and under-equipped public facilities.
The inspection covered key infrastructure in Ketu North and Ketu South Municipalities, including warehouses, roads, health facilities, a police post, and staff accommodation projects financed through petroleum revenues and the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA).
Ketu North: The 1,000-Metric Tonne Warehouse
One of the flagship projects inspected was a 1,000-metric-tonne grain warehouse in Ketu North Municipal, constructed under the Special Development Initiative with about GH¢1.6 million in petroleum revenue funding.
Although completed between 2021 and 2022, the facility only became operational in November 2025 when the National Buffer Stock Company began using it for grain storage.
However, PIAC observed that key components designed to enhance functionality, including a laboratory and heating facility for grain preservation, were either not operational or not fully fitted. Inspectors also noted structural and finishing defects.
Beyond infrastructure gaps, the warehouse also lacked critical ancillary equipment such as shelving systems, ladders, and forklifts, limiting efficient stacking and handling of stored grains.
Dodze Road: Paid But Not Visible
Another major concern was the Dodze Road project, which has become a symbol of challenges in petroleum-funded road infrastructure. Although bitumen surfacing works were originally expected as far back as 2006, and an additional GH¢1.5 million was reportedly disbursed in 2024 from petroleum revenues for the same purpose, PIAC found no evidence of completed bitumen surfacing.
Community members reportedly confirmed that contractors had only undertaken drainage works, with no visible asphalt or surfacing completed despite the payments. The situation has raised accountability concerns, with PIAC stressing the need for verification by audit and investigative institutions to ensure value for money in public spending.
Kologa (Aflao): CHPS Compound Under Pressure
In Ketu South Municipality, PIAC inspected the Gakli Community CHPS compound at Kologa, Aflao, which had received approximately GH¢132,000 in ABFA funding.
While the facility is operational, it is significantly overstretched, with about nine staff managing roughly 200 maternity cases per month, placing heavy pressure on limited personnel and resources.
Nurses’ Quarters: Functional but Defective
Adjacent to the CHPS compound is a two-bedroom nurses’ quarters, funded with about GH¢138,000 in petroleum revenues.
The facility, intended to support healthcare workers with on-site accommodation, is being used but shows signs of structural defects, consistent with challenges observed across multiple inspected projects.
Aflao Border Police Post: Under-Equipped Security Infrastructure
At the Aflao border in Ketu South, PIAC also inspected a police post funded with approximately GH¢93,000 in petroleum revenues.
The facility comprises basic office space and cells but suffers from critical infrastructure gaps, including no electricity connection, no water supply, and no fans for officers stationed there.
As a result, operations are constrained, with the post reportedly shutting down daily by 6 p.m. due to the absence of a power supply.
The Bottomline
Across all inspected projects in the Volta Region, PIAC observed a recurring pattern, which includes delayed operationalisation, incomplete auxiliary facilities, structural defects, and missing essential equipment.
While the projects demonstrate clear investment of petroleum revenues into local development, the findings raise broader questions about design adequacy, contractor delivery, maintenance planning, and oversight effectiveness.
