KWAME BOADI ACHEAMPONG AND WISDOM NTIM AWUKU (PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS) vs. GHANA HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY (DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT) [2019]DLSC7916

KWAME BOADI ACHEAMPONG AND WISDOM NTIM AWUKU (PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)... [2019]DLSC7916

Date	2019-12-11
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO. J4/27/2015
Citation No.	[2019]DLSC7916

GBADEGBE JSC (PRESIDING)

APPAU JSC

DORDZIE (MRS) JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

KOTEY JSC

KINGSLEY YEBOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS

KWABENA ANKAMAH OFEI BADU FOR THE

DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLSC7916
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk24557419">KWAME BOADI ACHEAMPONG AND WISDOM NTIM AWUKU</a><o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>GHANA HIGHWAYS
AUTHORITY<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO.
J4/27/2015&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 11TH DECEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KINGSLEY YEBOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

KWABENA ANKAMAH OFEI BADU
FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

GBADEGBE JSC (PRESIDING),
APPAU JSC, DORDZIE (MRS) JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, KOTEY JSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><a name="_Hlk27036859">THE
UNANIMOUS JUDGMENT OF THE COURT IS READ BY AMEGATCHER JSC, AS FOLLOWS:-<o:p></o:p></a>The Directive Principles of State Policy in the
1992 Constitution embraces the life of the nation. It is the policy document by
which the state is to create social and economic conditions for the citizens to
lead a good life. Article
35 for example mandates the State to provide adequate facilities for and
encourage, free mobility of people, goods and services throughout Ghana. Good
road networks linking the country together is one of the ideals the State
intended achieving under the Directive Principles. <o:p></o:p>In
1997, Parliament passed the Ghana Highway Authority Act, 1997 (Act 540) establishing
the Authority as one of the agencies under the Ministry of Transportation.
Among others, the objectives of the Authority are to plan, develop, maintain, protect, administer and provide safe and
adequate infrastructure for road transportation commensurate with the economic
development of the country. The Authority is also charged to carry out, either
through its employees or through independent contractors, the necessary routine
periodic and emergency road maintenance activities in accordance with the
service level of maintenance established for each class or type of trunk road. <o:p></o:p>For the purposes of effective
implementation of its functions, the Authority, opened up departments and
divisions manned by directors and such other officers and employees as may be necessary
for the proper and effective performance of its mandate in all the regions of
the country. It is to one of such departments that the 1st and 2nd
appellants were employed as Maintenance Engineer and Quantities Manager
respectively in charge of the Western Region.<o:p></o:p>Sometime in 2005, the Ministry of Transportation
had information concerning specific roads in the Western Region where it
appeared that the road contractors were paid contract sums for no work done.
The Ministry was worried because in spite of billions of Cedis spent by Government
each year in periodic and routine maintenance works to improve the road network
conditions, the outcome did not seem to be commensurate with the huge
maintenance expenditure being made, and this kept rising year after year. <o:p></o:p>The Ministry, therefore, set up a committee and
Monitoring Task Force which investigated the matter and made its findings and
recommendations. The findings revealed that a total amount of Two Billion,
Three Hundred and Seventy-Six Million, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand,
Seven Hundred and Ninety-Six Cedis has been certified for payments for works
that have not been executed. Affected roads included the Sefwi Bekwai By-Pass
Road, Tarkwa Town Roads and access road across the bridge to Bekado Community
Projects. Other inspected roads revealed that the required activities were not
executed satisfactorily, but had been certified for payment. <o:p></o:p>