The Minority members on Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee have called on the government to utilise the completed houses under the Saglemi Housing Project.
“We are waiting for the government to take initiatives to ask people to move into the houses or for the government to do everything in their power to make sure that these houses are occupied,” Minority Spokesperson on Works and Housing, Emmanuel Bedzrah said to Citi News.
[contextly_sidebar id=”JOcPAhjj8Edb2CBAzcxi0sOQdL723xDX”]The Minority after a tour of the facility concluded that “we are not deriving the benefits” of the project so far.
“Almost half of the housing has been completed and there are no occupants in the houses. We have the road network, you have electricity all connected but people are not living in,” Mr. Bedzra observed.
The project, which was commenced under the Mahama administration with stalled due to a decision by the Akufo-Addo administration to probe the financial arrangements around the project.
The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta-Akyea, invited the Attorney General to scrutinise the agreements in October 2018.
There were reports that key contract documents were missing or had inconsistencies.
The government feels there appears to have been a misappropriation of funds in the project, resulting in shoddy work.
At the time, the government said housing units lacked essential amenities such as water, electricity and drainage systems.
The first phase of the $180 million project was inaugurated by President John Mahama on June 15, 2016.
The project, which was intended to reduce the country’s massive housing deficit is seated on a 300-acre land with one to three bedroom apartments for low-income earners.
In the first phase of construction, 180 apartment blocks comprising over 1,500 flats were built near Tsopoli in the Ningo-Prampram District.
This affordable housing project is meant to address Ghana’s housing deficit of 1.7 million units.
Under the project, about 40 percent of the houses are expected to be sold at subsidized rates for low-income earners.
The project was expected to be complemented with industrial and recreational facilities, schools, shopping malls and other social amenities.
–
By: Duke Mensah Opoku | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
