Samuel Atta Akyeah, Minister for Works and Housing, has described the Saglemi Housing Project as uninhabitable for some legal reasons.
The NPP government inherited the construction of some 5,000 affordable housing project at Saglemi in the Ningo Prampram District, Greater Accra, from the previous John Mahama-led NDC government.
Some 1,400 of the first phase of the three phases of the housing units were completed in 2016 and ready for occupation, according to Sylvanus Attivor, Procurement Manager at the Site, nonetheless, Samuel Atta Akyea, at a presser, outlined a couple of reasons that, in the view of the present government, the Saglemi Housing Units were not habital.
To start with, he said the contract did not pass through parliament for proper scrutiny and so, by careful examination, the contract was loaded with financial illegalities.
The total contract sum for the entire three phases was US$200 million and the sector Minister said the conclusion is borne out of reason and evidence was that the contractor had misappropriated about 71 percent
of money.
“When we had the advice, we had our view as a ministry, but we had to refer to the Constitution and asked the Attorney General for advice, and when we receive the advice, we know what to do…and very soon, certain things are in the pipeline.”
He said a lot of investigators had expressed interest to continue with the project, but not until a proper assessment had been done on the project, and then, the legalities were in place for the previous
contract to be terminated.
“And those who need to have engagement with the criminal outfits of the land are punished, and then, we deliver the houses to our people,” he said.
He went on to say that houses were not connected to the national grid and besides, had no fully-constructed sewers, thus, making the Saglemi houses not habitable.
Story by Umar Sheriff / awakenewsonline.com
