The National Investigation Bureau (NIB) has summoned former Railway Development Minister Joe Ghartey to provide information regarding the controversial Ghana Sky Train Project. The investigation comes amid ongoing investigations into financial irregularities linked to a project launched to ease traffic congestion in the Greater Accra region.
The Sky Train Project in Ghana was launched in 2018 as a major infrastructure initiative aimed at reducing congestion in urban areas, particularly in Accra. Under Ghartey’s leadership, a concession agreement worth an estimated $3 billion was signed with the Africa Investment (Ai) Sky Train Consortium in 2019. However, the project has not progressed as planned, raising public doubts about its feasibility and financing.
In 2022, the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) announced that it had invested $2 million in the Sky Train Project without any return. The expenditure was highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report, which led to public scrutiny and raised questions about the management of public funds.
The NIB investigation aims to determine how the funds were distributed, whether proper procedures were followed, and the possible legal implications for those involved. Joe Ghartey said the project followed due process and that his ministry was not financially responsible for the feasibility studies.
The investigation intensified following the arrest of Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, a former chairman of the GIIF board, on February 23, 2025. Although he was later released, his arrest sparked widespread debate about the project and the alleged financial irregularities associated with it.
Joe Ghartey expressed his willingness to cooperate with the NIB, saying that the Sky Train transaction was carried out openly and in accordance with legal requirements. He stressed that his ministry did not make any payments during his tenure, as confirmed by the 2021 report of the Chief Accountant.
The public reaction to the ongoing investigation has been mixed, with many citizens expressing concerns about the implementation of the Sky Train Project and the implications of financial irregularities. Critics have called for greater accountability and transparency in government operations, especially around major infrastructure projects.
As the investigation progresses, it is still unclear what consequences may lie for those involved in the Sky Train Project and whether it will ever be implemented. The NIB investigation highlights the need for stricter oversight of public financial management to prevent similar problems in the future.
