Sam Nartey George, MP for Ningo Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, has accused the Tsopoli Police Command of neglecting to prosecute several police personnel caught for stealing building materials worth $7 million from the abandoned Saglemi Housing Project.
On JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, he stated that his people had spotted the officers removing building supplies for the project’s development from the site.
He further stated that, despite the fact that the criminals were turned over to the police, they did not act because the perpetrators stated that they were directed by their Commanders to steal the building supplies.
He claimed to have received multiple reports of theft from his constituents but dismissed them because he questioned them.
“At 1 am my guys called me and said Honourable we’ve been telling you, you said we are lying, now we’ve caught them. So, I drove to the site at 1 am and called police officers with a KIA Bongo truck that had loaded tiles, sanitary wares, toilet bowls and all from the site.
“We took them to the Tsopoli Police Station, from there, we marched them on to the Tema Regional Command – that case has died because the guys made it clear that they were sent by their Commanders to come and steal the things.”
He went on to say that the rot continued under the present administration’s watch.
“They abandoned the site, put national security and police officers on the site that they were protecting the site and $7 million worth of building materials that was left in there – tiles, cables, pipes were stolen,” he added.
The Saglemi Housing Project, which began in 2016, has been halted after the government stated that it was not in the best interests of Ghanaians.
Some former government officials are on trial for allegedly causing the state financial damage during the projection’s execution.
Nonetheless, the present administration has begun a new housing project in Pokuase.
Former President John Dramani Mahama recently chastised President Akufo-Addo for abandoning his administration’s Saglemi Housing project.
Mr Mahama calls the President’s choice to scrap the project while spending billions of cedis on the contentious National Cathedral “unacceptable.”
According to him, the Akufo-Addo administration put its own parochial interests over the interests of common Ghanaians.
“It is unacceptable for Akufo-Addo to spend 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 benefit 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 an NDC administration.”
“Leaders must always prioritise the well-being of their citizens and ensure that they benefit from government resources and projects, regardless of who initiated them,” he said in a Facebook post.
Thus, he described President Akufo-Addo’s remarks that the government is not receiving the necessary cash to complete the project as insulting.
“The misplaced priorities of a government that claim it is unable to raise money to complete the Saglemi housing project and yet is willing to spend half a billion cedis on the largest civil excavation in Africa is a humiliating slap in the face of Ghanaians who entrusted Akufo-Addo with their mandate.”
“Just think about the countless number of Ghanaian families who could have had decent living conditions over the past 7 years and the individuals who could have had a place to truly call home in Saglemi,” he added.
Source: myjoyonline.com
