President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministry of Local Government to establish a framework that will enable traditional rulers and district assemblies to jointly monitor government development projects across the country.

According to the President, the initiative is aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and effective delivery of critical infrastructure projects in various communities.

Speaking at an engagement with Northern Regional House of Chiefs, President Mahama said chiefs and local assemblies must work closely together through regular coordination meetings and project monitoring mechanisms to track the progress of government interventions.

“I’m therefore directing the Minister for Local Government — and the Minister is here — to create a framework where traditional rulers and district assemblies can meet occasionally to review the progress of work on critical infrastructure that government is undertaking in your various traditional areas and districts,” he stated.

The President stressed that district chief executives, assembly officials and traditional authorities should undertake joint visits to project sites to assess the quality of work and monitor implementation.

“There should be regular coordination meetings and project monitoring mechanisms where the district assemblies, district chief executives and the traditional rulers physically go to the sites of development projects to review the state of work and monitor the progress,” he added.

Mr. Mahama noted that involving traditional leaders in project supervision would help bridge the gap between projects announced and those successfully completed, while ensuring that communities derive full value from public investments.

President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is actively pursuing contractors who allegedly received mobilisation funds for the Agenda 111 hospital projects but failed to execute the works.

He disclosed that several of the facilities under the nationwide hospital initiative remain incomplete, with some stalled at foundation level despite funds being disbursed.

“Some of them are at foundation level, even some of them people took the mobilization and never went to site. EOCO is going after them,” President Mahama stated.

The President made the remarks during a courtesy call by the Northern Regional House of Chiefs at the Presidency, where discussions also focused on stalled infrastructure projects and government’s plans to revive them.

The Agenda 111 hospital programme, launched to expand healthcare infrastructure across Ghana, has faced criticism over delays and a growing number of uncompleted facilities. President Mahama acknowledged the challenges, noting that government has now adopted a more targeted, phased approach to ensure progress and accountability.

He explained that priority will be given to completing 35 hospitals that are already near completion, with funding directed toward finishing those facilities before additional phases are considered.

“What government has decided is the 35 that were almost near completion. Government this year is going to put money in and continue them and complete them,” he said.

President Mahama further indicated that government is also exploring partnerships with faith-based organisations to support the completion and operationalisation of some of the stalled hospitals, as part of broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery nationwide.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana has officially transitioned out of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and is now entering a new phase of economic policy focused on domestic-led growth, fiscal discipline, and targeted strategic investments.

Speaking during a meeting with the Northern Regional House of Chiefs at the Presidency, President Mahama described the development as a “policy reset moment” aimed at strengthening Ghana’s long-term economic resilience and reducing dependence on external support frameworks.

“We’ve concluded the IMF programme, and we are now moving into a policy coordinating instrument that creates space for strategic national investments,” President Mahama said.

He explained that under the new framework, government will commit approximately 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to priority sectors designed to stimulate productivity, create jobs, and expand infrastructure. Key among these areas, he noted, is commercial agriculture and agro-processing.

According to him, the agriculture sector remains central to the government’s post-IMF strategy, particularly in regions with vast arable land and strong production potential.

“One of the areas that has been identified is commercial agriculture. We have vast arable lands, especially in the northern parts of the country, and this will be a major focus for large-scale investment and agro-industrial development,” he said.

President Mahama added that the policy shift is intended to ensure more efficient use of public resources, stronger coordination of development programmes, and improved accountability in project implementation.

He also emphasised that the new approach would prioritise value for money and measurable outcomes, particularly in infrastructure and productive sectors of the economy.