The Deputy Managing Director of Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL), Haroun Apaw Wiredu, has revealed what he describes as a deeply entrenched and deliberate system that led to the loss of hundreds of state-owned buses through questionable sales, particularly in the period leading up to the 2020 general elections.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues programme on Sunday, January 18, 2026, Mr Wiredu disclosed that in October 2020just two months before the elections management at the time declared 313 buses unserviceable and sold them off at what he described as “paltry sums” to individuals linked to the system.
According to him, one shocking discovery from a review of internal reports showed that a whole Metro Mass bus was sold for as little as GHC2,500, far below its real value.
Mr Wiredu explained that this was not an isolated incident, but part of a wider practice he termed “cannibalisation,” which he said had been institutionalised within the company for years.
“What we realized was that the then management involved themselves in what we call cannibalisation,” he said. “It was a deliberate attempt. They saw the scrapping of buses as a low-hanging fruit, a system to milk the company.”
He explained that under this system, buses with minor faults were intentionally stripped of usable parts. Once the buses reached a certain level of disrepair largely caused by the removal of parts they were officially declared unserviceable. These buses were then sold cheaply to selected individuals, often described as cronies of those managing the process.
Mr Wiredu further revealed that the practice predated the 2020 elections. He said that between 2017 and 2018, shortly after a change in government, more than 400 buses were similarly declared unserviceable and sold off.
“By 2017, 2018, they declared about 400 plus buses unserviceable. Those buses were sold as scrap among persons associated with the system that had been created,” he stated.
He stressed that the October 2020 sale of 313 buses followed the same pattern, raising serious concerns about timing, intent, and possible abuse of public assets.
Following the assumption of office by the new management in March 2025, Mr Wiredu said decisive steps were taken to investigate the matter thoroughly. External auditors were commissioned to independently examine the allegations and review all relevant documentation.
“We commissioned external auditors to get this issue done once and for all,” he said, adding that the auditors submitted a draft report to management last week for consideration.
While he did not disclose the full contents of the audit report, Mr Wiredu’s comments suggest that the findings could have serious implications, potentially paving the way for further investigations and accountability measures.
The revelations have reignited public debate over asset management, governance, and accountability within state-owned enterprises, particularly during politically sensitive periods.
