A pressure group by name Team Saglemi, is appealing to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Parliament of Ghana, and the Council of State to halt the decision taking by the government, of giving Saglemi Housing project out unceremoniously to private developer without any real benefit to the Saglemi Housing Township or even the military that the land was acquired in their name as well as the entire nation.
“From the entire Team Saglemi Housing not for sale, we wish to further
reiterate and re-echo solidly once more that the Project is not for Sale and
that we will do everything within our human and legal powers to force
government to rescind such ill and premature decision”.
The group made it clear that, they would not want any private
developer to come in and that,any private developer that ventures does that at
his or her own peril, as future government would be compelled by
Team Saglemi not for sale to cancel such unpatriotic contract.
This was made known at a press conference presented by the Group’s Convener, Nana Out Darko held in Accra.
The group according to Nana Otu Darko, are against any plan by
the sitting government or any future government to get a private
developer to buy off the Saglemi Housing Project.
He however assured on behalf of the group, to do whatever it takes to compel the government
to look for funding to complete the project.
“The sale of Saglemi housing project defeats the purpose of
affordability for which the government of Ghana contracted the loans.
Affordability is not in the books of any private business person.
Therefore, how affordable will the proposed private developer sell the
housing units to Ghanaians especially when they are in business to
make profit? How affordable is it when government is even the one
selling it talk less of a profit oriented private business person”.
Team Saglemi not for sale further stated that, the project is not a failed one but, it is only that
the government had not decided to prioritize it.
Below is the full press statement:
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday February 16, 2023
PRESS STATEMENT ON “SAGLEMI HOUSING PROJECT NOT FOR SALE”
ISSUED IN ACCRA ON 16TH FEBRUARY, 2023d
1. INTRODUCTION
Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press and fellow citizens
and distinguished platform guests. Many thanks for availing
yourselves. We are here today to announce to you our stand
concerning government’s intention to sell Saglemi Housing Units
started by the erstwhile Mahama led administration. As we all know,
Saglemi is a public housing project located at Prampram in the Ningo
Prampram District in the Greater Accra Region. The project was
started in 2012 by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under
John Mahama to ease the accommodation deficit in Ghana.
Ghana has lurching housing deficit of not less than 1.8million according to
recent reports by the Ghana Statistical Service. Meanwhile, according to
other recent reports, higher rental rates, mortgages, building materials, etc
against the evergreen low incomes and unemployment is a crystal indication
that the housing deficit may not end any time soon. It is therefore
imperative to treat affordable housing related projects with indescribable
seriousness and urgency especially at a time that streetism keeps growing
by day, “KAYAYES’” keep multiplying their numbers with many placed
homeless for lack of basic shelter and also due to the ever increasing cost of
rent.
2. History and Agreement to commence the project
The project was funded by Credit Suisse following a Parliament of Ghana
approval, and granted on October 13, 2012, in line with Article 181(1) of the
1992 Constitution of Ghana.
On January 4, 2013, the Ministry of Finance who was the borrower and the
lender signed a facility agreement for the release of $200 million to fund the
construction of the 5,000 housing units, Collins Dauda who was the then
Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing signed the Engineering
Procurement and Construction Agreement with Construtora OAS Ghana
Limited, represented by Clocanas. In November 2013, former President John
Mahama cut the sod for the first phase of the Housing Project, in what was
described as the most ambitious housing project in the West Africa sub-region.
The over 300-acre 1,506-housing units facility, which comprises one to
three-bedroom apartments and townhouses, is 80 percent complete and
earmarked to be occupied by residents in the near future, therefore helping
to reduce the national housing deficit. The facility which sits on the 300-acre
land was meant to be a 5000-residential housing units. It has one to threebedroom flats for persons who earn low income and the agreement signed
by the erstwhile government stated it would be done in four phases.
Phase one saw the building of 180 blocks comprising over 1,500 flats.
Controversy over the project
The project became a matter of controversy after the New Patriotic Party
took power after years of abandonment. Samuel Atta Akyea, Fomer minister
of works and housing initially posited that the agreement was botched
following an alleged acts of embezzlement by some former NDC government
officials to the effect that out of the 5,000 proposed housing units approved
by parliament only 1506 housing units were done at various stages of
completion. TEAM SAGLEMI maintains our firmest position that the laws of
the land must deal appropriately with such individuals found culpable if any.
Government’s position to selling Saglemi housing project to a private
developer
According to Hon Asenso Boakye, the government has decided to lay hands
off the Saglemi housing project to pave way for a private developer to
refurbish the housing units and sell them to potential owners. According to
the Hon Minister, the government is exhausted and financially handicapped
and as a result cannot make any further fiscal commitment to the Saglemi
project.
When TEAM SAGLEMI NOT FOR SALE engaged the Minister and his team of
expert Directors including but not limited to the Ministry’s chief director upon
the Minister’s invitation, they unanimously affirmed their stringent and
incorrigible position to sell the Saglemi housing project to a private
developer for lack of funds.
Meanwhile, the same government that cries for being suffocated financially
per our undisclosed checks, have strangely decided to build from scratch
some 12,000 affordable housing units using the from the sale proceeds from
Saglemi after it has been sold. This we find very disingenuous to the
economic and socio-political health of our nation, and this is happening in
Ghana at a time when Ghana can boast of very few national assets. Ghana
airways, Black star line, Ghana’s Drill ship, Ghana Telecom, Numerous
Nkrumah’s factories, amongst many other national assets have been sold off
to aliens due to greed and limited vision. We will not keep mute and watch
Saglemi housing projects meet her untimely death like the enumerated ones
earlier stated.
the Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye intimated that
the government had decided to explore the possibility of selling the Saglemi
Housing Project, covering the 1,506 housing units at the current value to a
private sector entity to complete and sell (the housing units) to the public at
no further cost to the state. He further stated that what makes the Saglemi
Housing Project even more complicated is that government has already
expanded approximately $196 million on the project as has been submitted
therefore upon further consideration, government does not intend to expend
additional tax-payers money towards the completion of the project.
He added that proceeds from the sale was going to go the state and
reinvested into the new affordable housing projects situated at Amasaman.
A project the Minister argued they have not received funding for or met the
said private developer in question and yet every indication on the current
state of the Amasaman land shows and confirms work in progress. Where
did the Ministry get the seed fund to begin the minimal work on the new
land?
GROUP’S POSITION ON SALE
The group want to state emphatically that we are against any plan by
the sitting government or any future government to get a private
developer to buy off the Saglemi Housing Project.
We would, therefore, do whatever it takes to compel the government
to look for funding to complete the project.
The sale of Saglemi housing project defeats the purpose of
affordability for which the government of Ghana contracted the loans.
Affordability is not in the books of any private business person.
Therefore, how affordable will the proposed private developer sell the
housing units to Ghanaians especially when they are in business to
make profit? How affordable is it when government is even the one
selling it talk less of a profit oriented private business person.
Team Saglemi not for sale further wish to state devoid of any
ambiguity or equivocation that, the project is not a failed one only that
the government had not decided to prioritize it
We are stating our position clear that we would not want any private
developer to come in. Any private developer that ventures does that at
his or her own peril as future government would be compelled by
Team saglemi not for sale to cancel such unpatriotic contract…
The said 55million dollars to build the newly proposed 12,000 housing
units is incorrect as according to the minister Hon Asenso Boakye, that
amount only constitute less than 40% of the total funds needed for the
government and the private partner to finish the new project. In fact,
the 55million dollars-40% share constitutes government’s role in the
new project at Amasaman which even includes the provision of the
land for the project which is less than the total amount of money
needed to build the 12,000 housing project. It is expected that the
private partner bears the rest of 60%.
More importantly, the group hereby appeal to the President, Ghana’s
Parliament, and the Council of State to halt government’s decision of giving
Saglemi Housing project out unceremoniously to a private developer without
any real benefit to the Saglemi Township or even the military that the land
was acquired in their name (per our checks) as well as the whole nation.
From the entire Team Saglemi Housing not for sale, we wish to further
reiterate and re-echo solidly once more that the Project is not for Sale and
that we will do everything within our human and legal powers to force
government to rescind such ill and premature decision.
We wish you a productive weekend ahead.
SIGNED
Nana Otu Darko
Lead Convener
0593787825
Takyi Addo,
0244369057
