The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has declared a tough government stance against substandard construction practices, warning that the use of fake materials, poor supervision, and unlicensed practitioners will no longer be tolerated.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Technical Committees of the Engineering Council of Ghana in Accra on Friday, the Minister stressed that all practitioners and firms must be duly licensed and held accountable.
“There will be zero tolerance for substandard materials, a ban on engaging unlicensed practitioners and firms, and an end to poor supervision of engineering works,” Mr. Adjei said.
To back the directive, six Technical Committees were inaugurated under the Engineering Council:
• Disciplinary, Legal and Ethics Committee
• Education and Training Committee
• Finance and Administration Committee
• Licensing and Registration Committee
• Public and International Affairs Committee
• Standards and Professional Practice Committee
According to the Minister, these committees will play a key role in enforcing discipline, strengthening regulation, and raising professional standards in the engineering sector.
The announcement follows repeated engineering failures in Ghana, including collapsed multi-storey buildings, faulty bridges, and breakdowns in water systems — incidents that have fueled public anger over weak supervision and the use of inferior construction materials.
Mr. Adjei described such failures as “a stain on Ghana’s development effort,” noting that they waste scarce resources and erode public trust in infrastructure projects.
“The public demands safety and quality, and I expect these committees to become functional immediately. Any hint of bias or corruption in their work will be dealt with severely,” he cautioned.
