Kwabenya, April 19, GNA – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday commissioned 312 accommodation units for the Ghana Police Service at Kwabenya near Accra.
The ultra-modern facility is the first phase of 514-unit housing project at the Kwabenya barracks.
The housing project is to pave the way for the redevelopment of the 80 acres of land around the Kotoka International Airport into a modern commercial hub, under the government’s ambitious urban renewal programme, aimed at redeveloping prime areas in major cities across the country.
The new facility which is for the relocation of the Airport Police barracks is a land swap agreement between the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, Lands Commission, Ministry of the Interior, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, and Unique Development Company, a private developer.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo said the facility was “a further testimony of our unwavering commitment to provide decent accommodation and other facilities for our security personnel.”
He said the government would continue to prioritize the provision of decent accommodation and other facilities for security personnel to improve their welfare and enhance their capacity to serve the nation effectively.
“Not only will this facility improve the welfare of our police officers, but it will also enhance their capacity to serve our nation more effectively,” he said.
The President noted that the Government had made tremendous strides since 2017 in addressing the country’s housing deficit, which currently stands at two million units.
He indicated that despite those gains, rapid urbanisation continued to put immense pressure on land resources, which has led to the degradation of some prime lands, particularly in urban areas.
President Akufo-Addo said that building a modern and prosperous Ghana, required continuous investment in infrastructural development, the provision of essential services, and the improvement of the living conditions of the people, even during the current global economic crisis.
“It is, therefore, of utmost importance that we prioritize the optimal use of our land resources.”
President Akufo-Addo emphasized that the World Bank’s estimation that Ghana’s urban population would reach 72 per cent by 2035, presented a unique challenge, as well as an opportunity, to develop innovative solutions to the growing demand for housing, infrastructure and public services in major cities in the country.
That was why the Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission, embarked on an ambitious urban renewal programme, aimed at redeveloping prime areas in major cities across the country, including the Kumasi Sector 18, Marine Drive Tourism Development Project, Takoradi Beach Road Redevelopment Scheme, among others.
The President urged the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Lands Commission and the Unique Development Company, to work in earnest towards the completion of the remaining 192 housing units, and other facilities that make up the second phase of the project.
He commended those who worked on the project, saying, “This, obviously, is a great step towards the redevelopment of the Jubilee City enclave, to give a facelift to our capital city.”
“Let me assure you of my unwavering commitment to the realisation of this Project towards the Ghana we aspire for. I am confident that, with God’s guidance and your support, we will achieve our vision of a prosperous and inclusive Ghana,” he said.
The Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akufo Dampare who received the housing units thanked the President for the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of the Service.
He assured the President that the facility would be “maintained and well-preserved for generations to come.”
The Kwabenya barracks project is fitted with modern facilities and will provide comfortable homes, and a conducive working environment for police officers and their families.
In addition to the residential accommodations, the Project also provides a school with modern facilities, a clinic, an astroturf football field, a tennis court, a standby generator, a police station, a fuel-filling station, a workshop enclave, and other essential amenities.
GNA