By: Roberta Gayode Modin
The Minister-Designate for the Ministry of Works, Housing, and Water Resources, Hon. Gizella Akushika Tetteh-Agbotui, has assured Ghanaians that the long-abandoned Saglemi Housing Project will be assessed and renovated for completion.
Speaking during her vetting in Parliament, Hon. Tetteh-Agbotui emphasized the need for a comprehensive assessment and costing of the project, which has suffered significant theft and deterioration over the years.
“There have been heavy thefts on that site… The first thing is to do an assessment, costing, and see how it’s going to be funded and completed,” she stated.
Her assurance stemmed from President John Dramani Mahama’s recent commitment to ensuring the completion of the project, as highlighted in his State of the Nation Address (SONA). The minister-designate reaffirmed that efforts will be made to determine the financial and technical requirements needed to bring the project to life.
The Saglemi Housing Project, located in Prampram, was initiated in 2012 under former President John Dramani Mahama to provide 5,000 affordable housing units. However, after years of stalled progress and allegations of financial mismanagement, only about 1,500 units were reportedly completed, but they remain unoccupied due to the absence of essential infrastructure like water and electricity.
The project has been at the center of legal and political controversy, with former officials facing prosecution over alleged misappropriation of funds. Despite these challenges, successive governments have pledged to find a solution to the housing crisis, which the Saglemi project was meant to address.
