Saglemi: Tenants’ Union threaten court suit against private partnership

The National Tenants' Union of Ghana is threatening legal action and a series of protests to stop the participation of the private sector in the completion of the Saglemi Housing Project.

The Union in a press release signed by its secretary-general, Frederick Opoku, said that private sector participation will undermine any hope of providing affordable housing for those who are unable to afford the current market rates.

The Ministry of Works and Housing on April 17, 2024, officially requested private proposals for the completion and operationalisation of the project.

According to the Ministry, the deadline and evaluation for the submission of proposals is from July 9 to 15, 2024.

The Union implored the government to reconsider the decision in its release and threatened that should its appeal be ignored, its members would “mobilize nationwide demonstrations, adopting a 'one region, one demo' approach to amplify our discontent.”

Below is the full press release. PRIVATIZATION OF SAGLEMI AFFORDABLE HOUSING : A SIGN OF FAILURE

The National Tenants' Union of Ghana expresses profound dismay and disbelief at the decision made by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to transfer control of the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project to a private investor in an eleventh-hour attempt to secure $100 million for its completion, with just eight months remaining in their tenure. This epitomizes the recurring failure of housing and unmet promises by successive governments since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992, leaving Ghana's housing deficit at an alarming 1.8 million housing units.

Our opposition to the privatization of the Saglemi Housing Project stems from the following reasons:

1. Contrary to the government's purported commitment to poverty alleviation and empowering the impoverished, this decision veers sharply away from such objectives.

2. By privatizing the project, the government undermines any hope of providing genuinely affordable housing for those unable to afford market rate.

We implore the Akuffo-Addo-led administration to reconsider its decision to hand over the 1,506 housing units to a private entity. Instead, we advocate for future governments to explore alternative strategies that prioritize the public good and taxpayers' interest, especially, considering the $200,000,000 initially secured by the NDC government for the project’s inception.

In our unwavering commitment to upholding fiscal responsibility and democratic principles, we will utilize all constitutional means to voice our dissent against the government's ill-advised move to privatize the Saglemi Housing project. The Union pledges active engagement in electoral processes to ensure housing issues feature prominently on political agendas.

Should our pleas fall on deaf ears, we are prepared to mobilize nationwide demonstration, adopting a 'one region, one demo' approach to amplify our discontent.

Thank you.
—citinewsroom