Saglemi housing project
Saglemi housing project (also known as the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project) is a public housing project located in Prampram in the Ningo Prampram District in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.[1] The Ghana Home Loans Company were to provide mortgage arrangements for the housing units to be sold to employees.[2][3]
History[edit]
The project was begun in 2012 by the National Democratic Congress to ease the accommodation deficit in Ghana. The project was funded by Credit Suisse following a Parliament of Ghana approval, was granted on 13 October 2012.[4] On 4 January 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.[1][2][5] The Minister further disclosed that the sale had become necessary after actively engaging Cabinet, the Ministry of Finance , the Office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice on the completion of the project.[6] The Saglemi housing project is not going to be affordable according to Fatimatu Aubakari, the deputy minister for information.[6]
Construction[edit]
The facility sits on a 300-acre land and was meant to be a 5,000-residential unit building. It has one to three-bedroom flats for persons who earn low income.[1] The agreement signed between the Government stated it would be done in four phases.[7][8]
- Phase One saw the building of 180 blocks comprising over 1,500 flats.[1]
Controversy[edit]
The project became a matter of controversy after the New Patriotic Party took power after years of abandonment. Samuel Atta Akyea said the agreement was botched following acts of embezzlement by former NDC government officials.[1] Out of the 5,000 proposed housing units, only 668 housing units were completed. The Attorney General claimed the completed houses were not habitable and also added that the project at the site worth $64million even though it was stated about $196million was spent. Collins Dauda, Agyeman-Mensah; the Chief Director at the ministry from 2009 to 2017, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu; former Chief Director at the Ministry for Water Resources, Works and Housing[9] and also the Executive Chairman of Construtora OAS, the Brazilian company which constructed the affordable housing project at Saglemi, Andrew Clocanas, and a director of RMS, the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) consultancy subcontractor, Nouvi Tetteh Angelo faced 52 counts of criminal charges and were accused for willfully causing financial loss to the state.[2][8][10][11][12]
Continuation[edit]
Francis Asenso-Boakye claimed the project would be completed after the ministry tasked the Ghana Institution of Surveyors to conduct a cost and technical audit of the agreement.[13][14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "A summary of the controversial Saglemi housing project". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ a b c "Saglemi Project: Collins Dauda, 4 others in court for causing $200m financial loss to state". Graphic Online. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Be patient, Saglemi Housing issues will be resolved soon - Freda Prempeh". BusinessGhana. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "US$200m Saglemi Housing Project case: A-G files documents". Ghanaian Times. 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Sammy Gyamfi: All you need to know about Saglemi Housing Project - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ a b "Saglemi Affordable Housing project will no longer be 'affordable' - Fati Abubakar". GhanaWeb. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ^ "Saglemi housing scandal: State to file statement of last witness". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ a b "Details of the Saglemi housing project agreement the Government of Ghana signed". GhanaWeb. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Alhaji Yakubu Shows Up, Pleads Not Guilty". DailyGuide Network. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
- ^ Emmanuel, Kojo (2021-07-31). "Saglemi Housing project: Collins Dauda, 4 others charged for causing financial loss to the state". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ Starrfm.com.gh (2021-07-30). "Saglemi Housing: Collins Dauda, 4 others charged for causing financial loss to the State — Starr Fm". Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ Nartey, Laud (2021-08-05). "Saglemi suit: Evidence abounds in favour of Collins Dauda – Kwakye Ofosu". 3NEWS. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "FixTheCountry Chased Out Of Saglemi". DailyGuide Network. 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Government Reassures of Continuation of Saglemi Housing Project – MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING". Retrieved 2022-05-16.