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Minority kicks against private partnership in Saglemi Housing Project
The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament is vehemently opposing moves by the government to partner with a private developer to fix the Saglemi Housing Project.
According to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister for Works and Housing, an estimated $100 million is required to make the place habitable.
During an inspection of the project site on Tuesday, Oppong Nkrumah disclosed plans to secure a private partner within five weeks.
“…I gave instructions to the technical working group that within the next five weeks, it should go ahead with an international expression of interest that is designed to attract private developers who can come in and complete this project for us so that we can put it to use,” he said.
However, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, the Ranking Member on the Works and Housing Committee, alleges that the government intends to offload the Saglemi Housing Project to its allies and cronies.
“The only thing is that they just want to reduce the price and then they will sell it to their cronies. They are saying, oh, we are bringing in partners here and at the end of it, it is their own people that are going to come in. If you go out there, all state lands, every property is going for sale under the NPP administration. Every property, landed property, is going for sale. Let’s see the end of the NPP administration and we will see the rot.”
Initiated in 2012 during the tenure of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, the Saglemi housing project aimed to construct 5,000 housing units.
However, the project has been embroiled in controversy due to allegations of fund misappropriation, leading to its halt.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
