Joy News investigations have revealed that bungalows meant to accommodate teachers in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, are being sold off at give-away prices.
Documents intercepted by Joy News’ Northern Regional correspondent, Hashmin Mohammed, detail how two-bedroom bungalows in Tamale’s Bagabaga Education Ridge neighbourhood are being sold for as low as È»4,800.
The occupants of the 74 buildings mostly retired teachers are buying the bungalows from the Works and Housing Ministry - owners of bungalows.
The buildings in the Education Ridge serve as homes for teachers at the Tamale Polytechnic, Bagabaga College of Education, Tamale College of Education, Tamale Senior High School and several educational institutions.
The sale of the buildings to the retired teachers will make it difficult for the GES to house new teachers who will be transferred to the region, Hasmin stated.
The Northern Regional Education Directorate is against the sale.
Accommodation is a big issue within the Ghana Education Service (GES) with transferred teachers showing reluctance to accept posting to the Northern region because of housing challenges among other reasons, Regional Director of Education, Alhaji Mohammed Haroon has explained.
GES vrs Housing Ministry
Although the bungalows were put up by the Housing ministry, the land belongs to GES.
The GES was given the option to buy the bungalows at a total cost of GHC355,200. The Service made a part payment GHC 85,000.
However on December 10, 2014, the Works and Housing Ministry wrote to the GES withdrawing the offer and directing it to contact its finance department for the 85,000 it deposited.
According to our sources, the ministry subsequently wrote to other people, offering the buildings to them at GHC4,800 each.
Occupants of the buildings, obviously opposed to the sale, filed a suit against the Housing Ministry and Attorney-General’s Department seeking to stop the sale.
The case was, however, thrown out by the High Court which ruled that the Housing Ministry has the right to dispose off the buildings.
The sale of the houses is part of a 2004 policy of the ministry to dispose off its low-cost houses built in the '70s.
Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | [email protected]
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