Kwame Jantuah, chairman of oil and gas sector business members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), is advocating for a long-term national development plan to build houses for teachers and other public sector workers.
According to him, the Saglemi housing project can be relooked at to serve as a retirement home for teachers, instead of the government starting new housing projects.
The President Nana Akufo-Addo in his address at the 6th quadrennial national delegates conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Kumasi on Tuesday (4 January) said the government will be constructing 10,000 affordable housing units for teachers to be completed in the next two years.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing is in discussion with teacher unions, including your own, to provide more housing opportunities for teachers,” Akufo-Addo said.
“Within the next two years, it is proposed that 10,000 housing units on affordable terms will be developed for teachers across the country.”
However, speaking on Asaase Radio’s Saturday morning news analysis and current affairs show – The Forum – on 8 January, Jantuah said, “there has to be a long-term plan where we’re building houses for teachers, nurses, police so that at the end of the day, they have a roof over their heads. The government can’t say they won’t listen. They must listen but there has to be a long-term plan in terms of housing.”
“We have Saglemi going to waste. Can we not give it to teachers, nurses, police as retirement homes? Even if it’s not retirement homes, that they go in there and pay some monies till it becomes theirs,” he stated.
Last year, Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Works and Housing said the national housing deficit is in excess of two million housing units.
He said it was currently estimated that 60% of the country’s population would need some form of government assistance to help them to get access to housing, while 35% would not be able to access housing even with government support in terms of subsidy.
Nicholas Brown
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, 100.3 in Cape Coast and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
