AG Demands Probe Into Saglemi Affordable Housing Project

The Attroney General and Minister for Justice, Madam Gloria Akuffo, recommends to the Works and Housing Minister Samuel Atta Akyea to refer the Saglemi affordable Housing project to the appropriate authorities for criminal investigations and prosecution.

This follows a recent announcement made by the Minister for Water Resources, Works Housing, Samuel Atta Kyea, at a press conference that his outfit was awaiting an advice from the Attorney General about the way forward on the affordable housing project initiated under the administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The original contract signed under the previous administration was supposed to deliver some 5,000 affordable houses to Ghanaians at the cost of 200 million dollars. However, the contract has been revised to deliver 1,502 affordable houses at the same cost of 200 million dollars without any real justification for the revised decision.

According to details provided on the Joy Midday News on Thursday, May 16, 2019, the AG says there is no evidence to support the decision to vary the terms of the contract.

In the news closely monitored by ModernGhana, the Attorney General, Madam Gloria Akuffo advised the Works and Housing Minister to stick to the original agreement signed in 2013 to provide 5,000 housing units.

“Both the Executive approval and the Parliamentary approval for the Saglemi housing project was for the construction of 5,000 units at this same cost of 200 million dollars. From the documents reviewed, there is no evidence justifying the variation of the scope of the agreement in the first and the restated agreement signed by the then Minister Hon. Collins Dauda which reduced the number of housing units to be constructed from the 5,000 to the 1,502 even though the price remained at 200 million dollars,” a document from the AG’s Department read.

It added that “Since the first and the restated agreement witnessed a substantial reduction in the scope of the agreement from 5,000 to 1,502 units, the Ministry ought to have resubmitted the agreement to Parliament for approval. The Ministry’s failure to submit the first and the restated agreement to parliament for approval therefore renders the first and the restated agreements null and void.”

The project which is located at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region was intended to reduce the country’s massive housing deficit.

It is seated on a 300-acre land with one to three bedroom apartments for low-income earners and includes the realization of around 5,000 residential units.

It has 3-floor buildings with 6 to 9 apartments with living space ranging from 40 m² to 85 m².