Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has defended recent leadership changes at state-run transport company Ayalolo, citing fleet stagnation and poor asset management.
Speaking publicly, the Banda Member of Parliament said that upon assuming office, he engaged the then head of Ayalolo to assess the state of operations. He recalled that government had provided the company with about 200 buses between 2014 and 2016, but none had been added since.
“I asked him how many buses had been added to the fleet. He said zero,” the minister said, questioning the justification for retaining management that had failed to expand or renew depreciating assets. He noted that the buses were running down without reinvestment, prompting the decision for the head to step aside and make way for new leadership.
According to Mr Ibrahim, the appointment of a new managing director has already yielded progress. He disclosed that the new management engaged the Spanish Embassy, which expressed interest in supporting Ayalolo with a grant to strengthen its operations.
He said Spain is prepared to provide a €1 million grant to help augment the bus fleet, subject to a formal letter of no objection from Ghana’s Ministry of Finance. The minister indicated that the process is underway and appealed for high-level intervention to expedite approval.
Mr Ibrahim added that the Spanish ambassador has followed up consistently on the matter, stressing the urgency of securing the letter to unlock the funding. He said the grant would significantly improve public transport delivery and revitalise Ayalolo’s operations.
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