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‘We’ll complete housing projects by Mahama gov’t’ – Housing Minister designate

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Works and Housing Minister-designate, Samuel Atta Akyea says the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) would complete housing units started by previous governments.

He says the rate at which projects are abandoned in the country whenever there is a change of government contradicts the position of the 1992 Constitution.

“I do not know why you will start a whole project. We should complete all housing unit,” he told Joy News’ Flagstaff House Correspondent, Elton Brobbey Wednesday.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced 12 nominees as part of his second batch of Ministers-designate to serve in his government.

They include Monitoring and Evaluation Minister-designate, Dr Anthony Osei Akoto, Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe as Regional Re-organisation Minister-designate, and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister-designate, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng.

The rest are Ignatius Baffuor Awuah as Employment and Labour Relations Minister-designate, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah as Transport Minister-designate, Kwesi Amoako Arthur as Roads and Highways Minister-designate.

NPP’s National Women Organiser, Otiko Afisa Djaba has been nominated as Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister-designate, Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu as Communication Minister-designate, and Joseph Kofi Ada as  Sanitation and Water Resources Minister-designate.

NPP’s Volta Regional Minister, John Peter Amewu has been nominated as the Lands and Natural Resources Minister-designate, and former Attorney-General under erstwhile President John Kufuor, Joe Nana Ghartey as Railways Development Minister-designate

Mr Atta Akyea who would be heading the Works and Housing Ministry if his nomination is approved by Parliament said he would work to improve the housing situation in Ghana.

Ghana’s housing deficit is estimated at 1.7 million units with urban areas such as Accra and Kumasi being the worst places to reside.

Attempts by previous governments to address the problem have not yielded positive results. Former President Kufuor launched the “Affordable Housing Unit” in 2005 to provide at least 12,000 families with a decent accommodation. However, the project was truncated when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) came to power in 2009.

Former President John Mahama also contracted Brazilian Construction firm, Messrs Construtora OAS Limited to put up 11,000 flats at $ 200 million in the Saglemi township at Prampram.

Mr Atta Akyea said the NPP government would finish “every old project” left by previous governments in the country.

He said he would ensure that the houses when completed are affordable and could be purchased by families. “Who will build a house that cannot be purchased,” he quizzed.

Mr Atta Akyea, however, noted that what has given rise to the high cost of accommodation is that demands for housing units exceed the structures on the market.

 

 

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