Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has reaffirmed the government’s dedication to finishing the Saglemi Housing Project.
Initiated in 2012, the project has faced substantial delays primarily due to government concerns over the contract amount.
Speaking with Bernard Avle on the Point of View on Citi TV, Oppong Nkrumah emphasized the government’s readiness to explore partnerships with potential investors to ensure the project’s successful completion and utilization.
“The buildings and technical expressions are at various stages of completion; some are at the foundation level…and the money is finished. Now as it sits, the state is of the view that it should not be left to rot. That is why the President [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] has asked that we go through a process to identify a private investor and or private investors who have technical and financial competencies to help us finish it and to operationalise it.”
When questioned about the government’s current focus on reviving the Saglemi Housing Project after it was abandoned in 2017, Oppong Nkrumah explained, “Minister Samuel Atta Akyea commissioned the evaluation, which then determined that we need about a $100 million to complete it.
“It was based on his report that prosecution was occasioned somewhere around I think 2021, if my timelines are correct. Minister Asenso Boakye is the one who came to cabinet requesting for funding to continue the project.
“And cabinet did the considerations, went through all the options and said after spending $200m on this, the state couldn’t afford to spend anymore, especially at that time of the beginning of our economic challenges. And so, the decision was made to look for private interest.”
He noted that various stages of construction have been reached, with some buildings only at the foundation level and funding depleted.
In response, President Akufo-Addo has instructed a process to identify private investors with the technical and financial capabilities to complete and operationalize the project.
Regarding the government’s renewed focus on the Saglemi Housing Project, Oppong Nkrumah explained that Minister Samuel Atta Akyea’s evaluation determined a need for approximately $100 million to finish it.
This evaluation led to legal actions in 2021, and Minister Asenso Boakye subsequently sought funding from the cabinet to resume the project.
However, considering the state’s economic challenges, cabinet decided against further state funding, opting instead to seek private investment.
While acknowledging that progress should have been made earlier, Oppong- Nkrumah assured transparency in their operations going forward.
He expressed optimism that despite delays, the project’s revival through the current Request for Proposal (RFP) process, coupled with enhanced transparency, is a positive step forward.