According to Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project was a total financial loss for the state.
Already, former National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials, including former Works and Housing Minister Collins Dauda and four others, are on trial for allegedly inflicting the state financial loss in the $200 million Saglemi Housing Project.
According to Mr Ahiagbah, Ghanaians should urge the judiciary to bite harder and quicker in the Saglemi case.
In a statement, Mr Ahiabgah said “A complete financial loss to the state. Perhaps, it is time for Ghanaians to call on the judiciary to bite harder and faster in the Saglemi case before it.
“Note that: The Saglemi Affordable Housing was approved to construct some 5,000 housing units at the cost of $200 million. Instead, the NDC spent $198 million to construct 1,509 housing units or so. Even the 1,500 housing units constructed by the NDC after expending $198 million are not readily habitable. There’s no water, electricity, and other required amenities. In other words, to make Saglemi habitable, the government must invest about $111 million to complete the 1509 units and to provide water, electricity, and related amenities, according to the Ministry of Works and Housing.
“If you add $111 million & $200 million it comes to $311 million, Now, how Affordable would the 1,509 Saglemi housing units be if completed at the cost of $311 million?
“Ghanaians must ponder this! Why did the NDC change the approved 5000 Saglemi Housing Units to be built at $200 million to build 1,509, on the blind side of Parliament?
“Why? The NDC must tell Ghanaians why they revised the project and quit the vain politics of seeking to blame this government for their gross misconduct.”
Former President John Dramani Mahama recently chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failing to finish the Saglemi Affordable Housing project.
He stated that he knew the President would not touch the project because it was begun by a National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
Commenting on the new housing project that the president cut sod for its commencement last week, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said “It is unacceptable that President Akufo-Addo spent over half a billion Cedis on a national cathedral project that has ultimately failed due to corruption and is now abandoned, yet refuses to commit funds to complete a housing project that will help thousands of Ghanaian families.
“Knowing the NPP government they did not want to complete the Saglemi Housing project simply because it was initiated by John Mahama and NDC administration.”
On Tuesday, August 1, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disclosed that efforts had been made to finish the Saglemi Housing Project, which had been halted since the fall of the John Mahama-led administration.
President Akufo-Addo stated that the Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has been authorised to seek a private organisation with the financial and technical capacity to complete the project.
The contentious Saglemi Housing Project began in Prampram, Greater Accra Region, in 2012.
However, the new administration led by President Akufo-Addo voiced concerns about the project’s financial viability.
This resulted in criminal charges being brought against several government officials, including the then-Minister of Water Resources, Works, and Housing, Collins Dauda.
President Akufo-Addo stated on Tuesday at the unveiling of a new affordable housing project in Pokuase that Cabinet has entrusted the Works and Housing Minister with ensuring the completion of the Saglemi project to avoid it from deteriorating.
He stated that, in addition to the $198 million already invested in the project, a total of $114 million is required for its completion.
“Based on these assessments and having taken into account the project location and viability, Cabinet directed the resourceful Minister for Works and Housing, Hon Francis Asenso-Boakye, Member of Parliament for Bantama, to ‘explore the possibility of disposing of the Saglemi Housing Project covering 1,506 housing units at the current value to a private sector entity to complete and sell the housing units to the public and no further cost to the govt’,” President Akufo-Addo told the gathering at the sod-cutting ceremony of the new project.
He intimated that a technical working group had been formed, and that the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had already approved the hiring of a transaction advisor “with the requisite technical and financial capability to complete the project”.
“Indeed the lessons learned from the Saglemi Housing Project have been invaluable in shaping the approach and execution of this new affordable housing initiative.”
