Saglemi Housing Project: Local partners should have been given priority attention – Expert

Executive Secretary of the Ghana Real Estates Developers Association, Samuel Amegayibor, has opined that it would have been best for the government to engaged local industry before making the sale of the Saglemi Housing Project to a private entity public notice.

According to him, the decision by government to sell the controversial project is of a good agenda to see to the completion rather than abandon the project after years of state resources spent.

In an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he said, “I think the most important thing is that there’s an agenda or a recall to ensure that this project comes into fusion or at least we make use of it instead of leaving it there to go waste, so for that purpose alone, I think it’s good to hear that government has an intention to do something with it.”

However, for him and many real estate developers, he reiterated that it would have been prudent if the local industry would have been engaged before the government’s decision to sell the project to a private entity.

“It would have been a good option to seek engagement with the association. We’ve been a body that has been in the system already and a group of real estate developers that are on the grounds developing housing. I’d agree with most people that it would have been more prudent if we have been engaged at that level first to see what the local parties can do before going to the public and inviting all others to come on board. I wouldn’t say it is too late now that the invitation is open. I guess it is incumbent on GREDA to also take advantage of the invitation and engage the Ministry. For me nothing is lost except that we should have given the local partners a priority attention before coming to the public,” he said.

Mr. Amegayibor furthered, “Our President for the Ghana Real Estate Development Association is on the advisory board and I’d want to believe that it was discussed at the board and at that point my president would have had something to say. But the body called GREDA was not officially called to be engaged in this matter.”

Samuel Amegayibor’s comments come at the back of the recent press conference on Sunday, November 13 where the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye disclosed that the government has decided to sell the controversial Saglemi Housing Project to a private entity.

According to him, the decision was taken after assessment and the necessary consultations.