Member of parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has alleged that over $7 million worth of building materials has been stolen by government under the Saglemi Housing project.

According to him, the current state of the project is “painful and heartbreaking” as it was started under the erstwhile Mahama administration. He revealed that because the project is stationed in his constituency, his boys kept complaining about police officials from government stealing some supplies.

He indicated that some of his constituents were able to subsequently provide evidence by accosting “so-called police officer with Kia truck” loaded with tiles, sanitary wares and toilet bowls being moved from the site.

Mr George stated that these police officers were taken to the Tsopoli police station and were eventually moved to the Tema regional command. He however expressed his disappointment over the case, insisting the “case has died because the guys made it clear to me, they were sent by their commanders to come and take the things”.

“Over $7 million of building materials has been stolen by this government and under the watch of this government. They abandoned the site, put national security police officers on the site that they were protecting the site, and $7 million worth of building materials that was left in there to complete the project was stolen…”
Sam Nartey George

Sam George reacting to the abandonment of the project by the current government maintained that “Akufo-Addo government is a bunch of crooks and thieves who have intentionally left Saglemi to rot so that they can sell it to themselves for a pittance”. He stated that this was not the state of Saglemi, as the current administration has “intentionally and willfully caused financial loss”.

Furthermore, Mr George indicated that government’s position on selling the project to a private developer is just another front to “create, loot and keep by the kleptocrats” in the Akufo-Addo government.

“… The minister for defense appeared before parliament’s defense and interior committee and said Cabinet had approved that the military should take over Saglemi, complete it and use it as a military facility. This was what he said under oath to the parliamentary defense and interior committee.
“So, on what basis does the Cabinet of Akufo-Addo ask the minister for defense and the Ghana Armed Forces to take over Saglemi, and the next moment, another minister who sits in that same Cabinet is now saying that he’s offering it to private developers… President Akufo-Addo is complicit in what has happened…”
Sam Nartey George

Prosecution of government over Saglemi housing project

Furthermore, Mr George emphasized that President Akufo-Addo and his “crony of thieves” in government, have intentionally sat down and allowed the project to run to the ground. In light of this, he vowed to ensure that “President Akufo-Addo and his ministers – Atta Akyea, Asenso Boakye will face prosecution”.

“Let us serve notice, as member of parliament for Ningo-Prampram, any private developer who comes there, should prepare to fight me and my people. We will fight them; I would carry out the warning that has been sounded by the flagbearer. So, any private developer who thinks that he is taking this [Saglemi housing project] as a gift from government, and they want to sell it to themselves [must take note].
“We need to come out as a country and tell ourselves the truth… The Mahama administration, I will lead that charge if they don’t prosecute the people in charge of the works and housing ministry. When we come to office, I will take the government of John Mahama to task from 2025, because this project is in my constituency.”
Sam Nartey George

Commenting on whether preventing private developers from accessing the land amounts to interfering with the law, the Ningo-Prampram legislator revealed that the land is his family land which was given to government and the latter has not paid compensation in full. He explained that the land was given out because government pledged to use it for public affordable housing, and that government cannot on its own, hand it over to a private developer.

“They must come back and engage the family… If any private developer comes there, we will see him as a trespasser because government has not acquitted and discharged itself completely to the allodial owners of the land – that land does not belong to government, and so we are fortified by the laws of this land… We must begin to let the President know that he is not a monarch – he holds power in trust of the people and so that is why we are saying that any private developer who thinks he is coming to take over Saglemi, we will investigate the money…”
Sam Nartey George