Editorial
Good news as Saglemi Affordable Housing Project bounces back soon
Due to Ghana’s acute housing crisis, a sizable section of the population cannot afford formal, adequate housing.
For instance, in Accra, where more than half of the population lives in urban areas, rental costs are exorbitant, with one-bedroom apartments typically costing GH₵4,000 a month.
These high costs make decent housing unaffordable for low-to-middle income earners forcing many to rely on sub-standard, overcrowded, or informal settlements, and a reliance on advance rent payments, often 1 – 2 years, despite legal limits.
These crises affect those in both rural and urban areas as they face shortages in basic amenities like water, electricity, and proper sanitation.
It is therefore a refreshing news that the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project which has remained stalled for several years, will bounce back soon. This was announced by the Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, at the Presidency on Wednesday in Accra when he took his turn at the Government Accountability Series.
The Saglemi Affordable Housing Project is a US$200 million public housing project located in Prampram in the Ningo Prampram District in the Greater Accra Region, which was initiated by the John Mahama Administration in 2012 to build 5,000 housing units, to ease accommodation deficit in Ghana, particularly within the Greater Accra Region.
The Minister revealed that his outfit has chosen a developer to finish the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project, and he assured that the ministry has intensified and concluded its engagement with the developer and is awaiting guidance from the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice regarding the start of work on the project that has stalled.
The Spectator is of the hope that as promised by the Minister the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project and others would be completed soon after documents are finalised to ease the pressure of housing problems on Ghanaians.
We hope that the State Housing Company Limited will continue its work on key projects such as the Surge Homes development at Amrahia and the SHC Gardens projects which are at 68 and 70 percent complete respectively.
It is also worth noting that besides the above projects the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) is spreading its tentacles to other regions with its first out-of-Accra project in Ho and other regions set to be explored.
The authorities should be mindful of the distribution process to the Ghanaian workers to ensure fair treatment to all, especially the average Ghanaian who wants to make an effort to own a house.
We strongly believe that the completion of these projects will meet the housing needs of the average working Ghanaians and positively impact their lives.
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Dear Editor,
Over the past few months, the ages of some drivers of commercial vehicles continue to baffle me.
This is common during weekends when one boards any of the commercial vehicles – be it trotros and okada.
I remember, I boarded a taxi from the Accra Central area towards the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area. When I sat in the vehicle, I realised the driver was a young boy. Specifically, he said he was 18.
I know our laws do not permit youth under the age of 21 to be driving; that is clearly against Ghana’s Road Traffic laws for operating commercial vehicles.
Some commuters have even had confrontations with station masters over the issue and have refused to board vehicles driven by underage individuals, despite the risk of arriving late for work.
This situation is deeply disturbing because it puts the lives of passengers and other road users at risk.
No matter how skilled such drivers may be, allowing underage persons to operate commercial vehicles is wrong and unlawful. Laws governing road safety are meant to protect lives, and ignoring them only increases the chances of accidents and loss of lives.
I therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, to strictly enforce the age requirements for commercial driving in the country.
Baba
Labadi
The advantages of focusing on girls have been evident over the years. However, current research indicates that the statistics pertaining to boys are still declining.
Approximately 69 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls finish primary school. While Senior High School (SHS) enrollment trends have lately changed, with females significantly outnumbering males (about 110 girls to every 100 boys), Junior High School (JHS) gender parity remains stable, with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) remaining between 1.00 and 1.03.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates parity between girls and boys.
Although encouraging education for girls is essential for Ghana’s development, the strong emphasis has unintentionally led to inequalities for boys.
Many stakeholders worry that affirmative action and unequal resource distribution put males at risk, which can occasionally lead to increased dropout rates and behavioural issues in specific neighbourhoods.
There has been a lot of discussion among Ghanaian sociologists and educators about the disproportionate support given to girls and how it affects boys.
They claim that the majority of scholarships and special facilities are frequently disproportionately given to girls, which boy child advocates contend makes young men feel ignored or disadvantaged.
Due to these differences, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice Chancellor of Pentecost University, has voiced serious concerns and is pushing for a deliberate discussion about the education and development of boys in order to build stronger families and societies.
The statement was made by Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua during a seminar hosted by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra on May 16, which is International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised in association with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme “Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua revealed that many young males are vulnerable due to inadequate mentoring, a decline in schooling, negative social media influences, and emotional neglect.
Additionally, he stated that the boy child faced numerous difficulties, including aggression, substance addiction, academic decline, emotional neglect, and the lack of strong role models, as a result of the focus shifting to the girl child.
He worries that since boys are essential to the development of the country, they should not be overlooked in discussions about leadership, education, family stability, and national reform.
The Spectator agrees with Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua and believes that while it is important to train girls, neglecting boys can impede social advancement by causing differences in behaviour and education between young men and women.
“If we don’t make an effort social media will train our children for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t use social media, but we should help them get the information they need to succeed in life,” he said.
The Spectator believes that the GES would adopt gender-responsive education in order to guarantee that classroom instruction meets the requirements of both boys and girls equally.
Let’s continue to be dedicated to making sure that no child is left behind.
