Mahama's Minister bypassed Parliament by considering a $ 200 million housing deal

General News of Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com

2019-04-24

Collins Dauda, ​​a former Minister of Public Works and Housing led by John Mahama, bypbaded Parliament by examining Saglemi's $ 200 million real estate project.

Former President Mahama therefore granted a decree on August 15, 2012 to the Department of Public Works and Housing, to oversee the construction of 5,000 homes for sale to the general public under a contract Mortgage Loan subscribed by Ghana Home Loans.

The Minister of Public Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, addressing the Ministry of Information journalists on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, said the contract was subsequently sent to Parliament for approval after the decree was pbaded. been granted.

He said that a Brazilian construction company incorporated in Ghana, Constratora OAS Ghana Limited, had been responsible for the execution of the Saglemi project.

The contract approved by Parliament was clearly about the construction of 5,000 homes at a cost of $ 200 million.

According to him, on February 27, 2014, without the approval of Parliament, Mr. Dauda and the then Director of the Ministry of Housing examined the contract with the company.

He stated that Mr. Dauda had reviewed the contract first, and that the chief executive had also reviewed it.

Mr. Atta Akyea said that after the examination, the number of homes had been reduced from 5,000 to 1,502.

The reduction meant that 3,498 housing units had been removed from the initial agreement approved by Parliament without approval.

However, secretly on the side of Parliament and the country as a whole, the original $ 200 million contract had been maintained for 1502 units instead of the reserved 5,000.

He revealed that the 1502 units should have cost at least $ 60 million, announcing that the country had been terribly traded in the revised contract.

According to the minister, the Saglemi project "presents serious challenges", some of which are legal and criminal.

As a result, he said that the government of the new patriotic party, led by President Akufo-Addo, had remained silent since he had seized power by trying to investigate the deal.

He indicated that the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, had been informed and that she had badured the government to give an early opinion on the matter.

The NDC recently tried to make propaganda with the agreement, projecting the government as it was trying to abandon the project.

The minister said the government was considering completing the project, but said it could not do so under the current agreement.

He said that many investors had expressed interest in the transaction and that once the contract with the Brazilian construction company terminated, a new investor would probably be hired.

But he warned that those who took part in the fraudulent transaction would be treated by law.