Projects Must Be Divorced From Politics!

President John Dramani Mahama is quoted by the Friday edition of The Chronicle to have applauded the progress of work on the Saglemi Housing Project, located at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.

Under the headline: “Mahama's 1,502 housing unit facility ready”, the story explained that the President visited the project site as part of his 'Accounting to the People Tour' of the Greater Accra region. According to the story, the 1,502 housing unit facility, which was constructed on a 300 acre piece of land, comprises of one to three bedroom apartments and town houses.

While congratulating Construtora OAS Ghana Ltd, the Brazilian construction firm undertaking the project, for partnering government to construct the estates, President Mahama said the facilities would help reduce Ghana’s housing deficit.

He said: “This estate is very important, as it forms part of many other such developments the government is undertaking towards resolving the accommodation problems in the country.” The 1,502 housing units, which is 80 percent complete, represent the first phase of the project that has the potential to construct up to 11,000 of such facilities in the Saglemi community.

Andrew Clocanas, Chairman of the Brazilian construction firm had this to say: “This is a milestone in the housing industry in Ghana-nothing of this magnitude has ever been achieved. “We are building a complete city, which will have industrial and recreational facilities, schools, shopping malls and other social amenities as well as security.

“The government played its role in securing over 1200 acres of land, at a very low rate. In return, up to 40 percent of the houses will be sold at subsidised rates for low income earners to afford.”

Though the project is a laudable one, The Chronicle does not understand why, after taking over the reins of power, almost eight years ago, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has refused to continue similar projects started by the Kufour administration.

At the time of leaving office, former President John Agyekum Kufour had started the construction of a 4,700 affordable housing-unit-project across the country.

The project, which was to address the serious shortage of decent and affordable accommodation for middle and lower income groups has now become a 'white elephant', with poisonous reptiles and squatters, mostly wee smokers and armed robbers, completely taken over – a clear indication of the waste of the taxpayers' money.

The 4,700 affordable housing units were being constructed at Nungua, Borteyman and Kpone in the Greater Accra region; Asokore-Mampong in the Ashanti region; Koforidua in the Eastern region; Wa in the Upper West region and Tamale in the Northern region.

It was SSNIT, which initially funded the project, but after the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing under the Kufuor administration had run out of funds, it resorted to HIPC funds, which also ran out.

Interestingly, instead of continuing the project former President Kufour started, which was almost 85 percent complete, President Mahama decided to channel another chunk of the tax payers' money into the construction this Saglemi estates, leaving the previous one at the mercy of the weather.

Though there are reports that some of the Kufour's uncompleted affordable houses have been given out to some companies such as the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) to complete, we believe that effort on the part of the NDC government is not enough.

This idea of abandoning projects initiated by predecessor governments must no more be countenanced.  If President Mahama had continued with the construction of the 4,700 housing units, which was started by former President Kufour when he assumed office, he would have completed the entire project by now, and Ghana would have been the winner.

Should the Mahama-led government lose the upcoming elections and the new government that would take over decide to abandon the Eastern Corridor roads project, the country at large will suffer.  And that is why we must guard against this sort of politics because it would not serve our interest.