The National Tenants’ Union of Ghana has threatened to initiate legal action and a series of protests to stop the proposed private partnership in the completion of the Saglemi Housing Project.
The Ministry of Works and Housing on April 17, 2024, opened its doors for private proposals for the completion and operationalisation.
The sector Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, assured of a transparent process to prevent any suspicion of corruption.
Mr Nkrumah also reiterated the government’s dedication to finalising the project before the December elections, acknowledging the urgency to address the housing needs of the people.
However, the union in a statement issued by the General Secretary, Frederick Opoku, said the move will undermine the quest to provide affordable housing which is the objective of the project.
They have therefore urged the government to reconsider the decision or they will hold nationwide demonstrations, adopting a ‘one region, one demo’ approach to amplify our discontent.”
Meanwhile, the deadline and evaluation for the submission of proposals is from July 9 to 15, 2024.
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Below is the full press release.
PRIVATIZATION OF SAGLEMI AFFORDABLE HOUSING : A SIGN OF FAILURE
The National Tenants’ Union of Ghana expresses profound dismay and disbelief at the decision made by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to transfer control of the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project to a private investor in an eleventh-hour attempt to secure $100 million for its completion, with just eight months remaining in their tenure.
This epitomizes the recurring failure of housing and unmet promises by successive governments since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992, leaving Ghana’s housing deficit at an alarming 1.8 million housing units.
Our opposition to the privatization of the Saglemi Housing Project stems from the following reasons:
1. Contrary to the government’s purported commitment to poverty alleviation and empowering the impoverished, this decision veers sharply away from such objectives.
2. By privatizing the project, the government undermines any hope of providing genuinely affordable housing for those unable to afford market rate.
We implore the Akufo-Addo-led administration to reconsider its decision to hand over the 1,506 housing units to a private entity. Instead, we advocate for future governments to explore alternative strategies that prioritize the public good and taxpayers’ interest, especially, considering the $200,000,000 initially secured by the NDC government for the project’s inception.
In our unwavering commitment to upholding fiscal responsibility and democratic principles, we will utilize all constitutional means to voice our dissent against the government’s ill-advised move to privatize the Saglemi Housing project. The Union pledges active engagement in electoral processes to ensure housing issues feature prominently on political agendas.
Should our pleas fall on deaf ears, we are prepared to mobilize nationwide demonstration, adopting a ‘one region, one demo’ approach to amplify our discontent.
Thank you.