The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has shed light on his decision to relieve the former head of Ayalolo Transport Services, citing a failure to expand the bus fleet amid ongoing depreciation of existing vehicles.
Speaking during a working visit by Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang to the ministry on Friday, January 16, 2026, Minister Ibrahim detailed the circumstances leading to the change in leadership at Ayalolo, the operator of Accra’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
The engagement focused on addressing the escalating transport crisis in Accra and other major cities, where commuters have faced chronic delays, extortion, overcrowding, and unreliable public transport services.
According to the minister, upon assuming office, he summoned the then-Ayalolo boss to account for the state of the fleet.
“When I assumed office as minister responsible for local government, I called Ayalolo Boss,” Ibrahim recounted. “We gave you 200 buses in 2014 to 2016. Tell me, how many buses have you added? He said, zero.”
The minister expressed frustration over the lack of progress, noting that the existing buses were depreciating without any additions to the fleet.
“And I said, tell me why I should allow you to be there if 200 buses, they are all depreciating, they are all running down, you are not increasing the fleet,” he added.
Based on this assessment, Ibrahim instructed the boss to step aside, paving the way for new leadership.
Under the new Ayalolo head, the minister revealed, opportunities for fleet expansion have emerged, including a potential grant from the Spanish government.
“When the new boss came in, I realized the problem. He came, he went to Spanish embassy. They wanted to give us a grant. All that they needed was for the Minister for Finance to give a letter of no objection,” he explained.
He appealed to the Vice President for intervention to expedite the process, emphasizing that the grant could provide a significant boost.
“We followed an attempt with your presence. It will be given. If that one comes, the current end of Ayalolo buses will get a grant of 1 million euros to be able to augment the fleet of Ayalolo,” the minister stated.
“And we’ll need your intervention for the Minister of Finance to give that letter of no objection. The Spanish ambassador has been following me for that.”
Ayalolo, launched in 2016 as part of efforts to modernize public transport in Ghana, operates a fleet of buses along dedicated lanes in Accra.
However, the system has been plagued by challenges, including maintenance issues, route limitations, and insufficient vehicles to meet growing demand.