Presidential staffer Gilbert Atippoe has challenged the accuracy of a report by The Fourth Estate on the Presidential Committee’s investigation into sole-sourced contracts under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme.
In March 2026, The Fourth Estate revealed how the Ministry of Roads and Highways had allegedly become a factory for sole-sourcing under the government’s Big Push initiative; it also published how contracts had been awarded to companies with questionable capacity and experience.
In a social media post on Tuesday, August 11, following the government’s investigation into the allegations, Mr Atippoe says official records from state regulatory institutions contradict key claims contained in The Fourth Estate’s publication.
He argued that this raises questions about the basis on which the media organisation reached its conclusions.
In a detailed response, he defended the 72-page report produced by the committee chaired by Dr Valerie Sawyerr, insisting that its findings were based on statutory records and documentary evidence.
He rejected suggestions that the committee either deliberately published inaccurate information or was misled during its investigations.
Company registration
One of the issues Mr Atippoe raised concerns the registration history of Growth 82 Ventures.
According to him, records from the Office of the Registrar of Companies show that the company was incorporated on August 18, 2020, under registration number BN680822020.
He said the record contradicts any assertion that the company’s existence did not correspond with the timeline presented in the committee’s report.
“The official certificates from the Office of the Registrar of Companies confirm that Growth 82 Ventures was registered as far back as August 18, 2020,” Mr Atippoe said.
He further pointed to records from the Ministry of Roads and Highways concerning Growth 82 Global Ltd.
Mr Atippoe said the company holds an A1, B1 financial classification, which he described as the top-tier classification required for major infrastructure works.
He argued that this demonstrates that the company had the requisite statutory capacity to undertake major projects.
SSNIT records cited
The presidential staffer also disputed claims concerning the workforce capacity of contractors referenced in the committee’s report.
He cited SSNIT records relating to Build Managers Ltd and Sanam Ghana Ltd, saying the companies had active employee rolls of 20 and 26 workers respectively.
According to him, both companies also held valid SSNIT Clearance Certificates and had met their statutory obligations under the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766).
Mr Atippoe said the records undermine concerns about whether the companies had the workforce capacity reflected in the committee’s assessment.
“These verifiable facts show that the committee’s assessments of company capacity were accurate and thorough,” he said.
Demand for correction
Mr Atippoe has subsequently accused The Fourth Estate of failing to conduct adequate verification of regulatory records before publishing its report.
He said the publication had unfairly cast doubt on the professional integrity of Dr Valerie Sawyerr and other members of the Presidential Committee.
“Basic journalistic ethics and public accountability dictate that when a media organisation publishes inaccurate premises that damage public reputations, a prompt correction is required,” he said.
He is therefore calling on The Fourth Estate to retract what he described as a misleading publication and issue an unreserved public apology to Dr Sawyerr and the members of the committee.
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