Former Deputy Minister for Defence and MP for Atwima Kwanwoma, Hon. Lawyer Kofi Amankwah Manu, has expressed serious concern over what he describes as inconsistencies and escalating cost claims surrounding the long-stalled Afari Military Hospital project.

Speaking on the Oyerepa Breakfast Show on Monday morning, the former deputy minister insisted that the issue should not be viewed through a partisan lens, stressing that the abandoned project is a national concern that cuts across political lines.

According to him, the controversy surrounding the project’s outstanding payments and new financial demands raises important questions about transparency and accountability in public infrastructure delivery.

He alleged that the figures being circulated in relation to the project do not align with earlier records, insisting that the outstanding amount owed to the contractor was approximately $500,000, rather than the widely reported $85 million now being demanded for completion.

“The issue of Afari Military Hospital is never an NPP or NDC issue. It is a Ghana issue,” he stated. “For a fact, a contractor is trying to play us. The numbers simply do not add up.”

Hon. Amankwah Manu further questioned the justification behind the new financial request, suggesting that it was unclear why such a substantial additional sum would be required if the project scope had not fundamentally changed.

He argued that if the original project design remains the same, it is difficult to understand why an extra $85 million is being demanded, adding that the figures being presented appear inconsistent with earlier contractual expectations.

“The question I have consistently asked the contractor regarding his demand for an additional $85 million to complete the Afari Military Hospital is this: are we building a new hospital?” he queried.

His comments add to ongoing public debate about the status of the Afari Military Hospital project, which has faced delays and scrutiny over funding, execution, and completion timelines.