Report by Nana POKU
The Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has announced that a whopping 51,000
acres of land has been acquired by his ministry to embark on intensive housing projects for the country to
fix the country's acute housing problem.
The Minister delivered this statement at the Minister's Press Briefing at the Ministry of Information in
Accra yesterday at his turn to account for his stewardship.
According to him, the Ashanti Region gave out 200 acres of land towards that project while the rest is
spread out in other regions and parts of the country.
He indicated that modalities are being worked out for contractors, estate developers, and other interested
parties to latch on these lands to put up houses for the citizens to obtain decent houses at affordable
prices to stay in and have rest.
He argued that most estate companies have a big challenge in acquiring lands to develop as a result of
our cumbersome land policies in the country, most of which end up in long litigation.
In addition to that, 14 other old bungalow lands have been earmarked to be pulled down for more and
new flats to be built to accommodate a lot more people than just a small bungalow occupying one acre
land for a few people.
He postulated that an arrangement is underway for private developers to demolish these old not- fit- for-
purpose bungalows which are going to be demolished for many more flats or housing units to be built on
these plots to accommodate more public workers and government officials.
The Minister demonstrated how, over the last ten years, the government has tried to bridge the yawning
gap of housing deficit by constructing many housing units in the country to fix the challenge.
He stressed that the government alone cannot undertake the huge housing cost and programme, so
schemes like PPP, Estate Developers, and various Assemblies will engage vigorous housing projects to
house the people.
He intimated that owning a house is a right, and his government is rolling out sustainable and pragmatic
housing policies to address the problem.
To this end, the government is confronting the situation through the public housing and district housing
schemes to tackle the issues in housing.
He outlined eight steps the government is adopting to circumvent the challenges in the sector, which
included: securing land, finance, legal framework, partnership, financiers, off takers, estate developers,
etc.
Again he mentioned that government, agencies, ministries and Assemblies will collaborate to help in the
horizontal infrastructure development like roads, electricity, water, telecommunications, schools, clinics,
and markets to be provided in all new sites to make the work lighter and easier for estate developers.
This will make the community habitable.
He lamented about the enormous cost involved in the provision of these facilities that inflated houses in
these sites and also encouraged private developers from building more houses for the communities.
He emphasized that the ongoing housing projects in the country will not be sold to only rich people but
will be given out to public sector workers to stay in and work.
He promised to complete all stalled housing projects by all governments across the length and breadth of
the country, some of which have to be revalued and reset.
