Tamale, Feb 16, GNA – Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister for Works and Housing has announced that government has begun moves to recommence work on the affordable housing projects in Tamale to provide accommodation for the people.
The State Housing Company Limited had taken charge of the project to assess the housing structures and take inventory of the land allocated for the project to allow for full construction works to begin.
Mr Asenso-Boakye announced this when he visited the project site at Wamale, a community in Tamale, as part of his two-day working visit to the Northern Region to take stock of the Ministry’s assets and liabilities.
The Tamale affordable housing project started during former President John Kufuor’s era but was abandoned after he left office.
At the project site, there were about three structures (storey buildings) at various stages of construction, which remained abandoned since 2009.
The State Housing Company Limited recently took charge of the project as part of government’s moves to recommence construction works on it, and its initial assessment showed that the plot of land allocated for the project had been encroached upon.
The Ghana News Agency understands that the plot of land allocated for the project was 261 acres, but the State Housing Company Limited’s assessment had shown that it was now left with only about 94 acres.
Mr Asenso-Boakye said, “I know the people of this region are looking forward to this government continuing with this project and we will do everything possible to make sure that this project commences, and will be completed.”
He spoke about the encroachment on the land and mentioned that “I am calling on the leadership of the region, both traditional rulers and the political leaders to help government to stop the encroachment so that we can use the land for the purpose it was acquired.”
He said to ensure that the housing units were affordable, government was now working with the private sector to develop affordable housing projects where “Government is subsidising up to 20 per cent of the whole construction cost to make it truly affordable for the people.”
He added that “Government is also working with banks so that the individuals, who are on payrolls whether in private sector or public sector, can actually buy these homes using their salaries as mortgage so that they can pay over a period of time.”
Meanwhile, Mr Asenso-Boakye also visited the Sakasaka Estate, Choggu Low-Cost Estate, the housing unit for personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service, and major drains at Kalariga, Vittin, Koblimahagu and Gurugu in the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality.
He spoke about efforts to prevent floods in the Tamale and Sagnarigu assemblies saying, the ongoing moves to establish the Ghana Hydrological Authority would help to tackle drainage issues in the country.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister was hopeful that his sanitation campaign in the region would ensure that the drains were desilted to improve drainage especially during the rainy season.
Alhaji Saibu, therefore, called on residents to take the sanitation campaign seriously by cleaning their environment and properly disposing refuse to stop silting of the drains.
GNA