Organised Labour has urged the government to reconsider its decision to abandon the Saglemi Housing project and instead offer it to workers who are in need of affordable housing.
The project was started in 2012 under the NDC government with the aim of constructing 5000 housing units. However, due to alleged misappropriation of funds, the project was not completed. The current government had announced plans in November 2022 to allow a private developer to refurbish the housing units and sell them to potential owners.
Speaking on behalf of Organised Labour at the 2023 May Day Parade at Independence Square in Accra, Freda Frimpong, Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the Council of Labour, said that the government must make meaningful use of the project. “Hon. Minister, please do whatever you can to make the Saglemi Housing project useful for Ghanaians, we cannot allow that project to go to waste when so many workers who have contributed to Ghana’s development cannot have places to lay their heads.”
Collins Dauda, a former Works and Housing Minister under the Mahama administration, is currently standing trial together with four others for allegedly causing financial loss to the State in relation to this controversial housing project.
Alhaji Collins Dauda and his successor Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah are currently facing 52 counts of criminal charges for intentionally misapplying public property, wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic, and dishonestly causing loss to public property in relation to the Saglemi housing project. The investigations revealed that the cost of works executed on the site, including consultancy services, was about $64,982,900.77 while they are accused of spending over $196 million on the project.
