Three hundred and twelve completed units under the Affordable Housing Project at Asokore Mampong in the Ashanti Region have been opened by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The President opened the facilities on Thursday.
The Asokore-Mampong Housing project, now referred to as Osei Tutu II Housing Estates, is one of six started by the John Agyekum Kufuor-led administration in 2005, with the others situated at Borteyman, Kpone, Koforidua, Tamale, and Wa.
The Asokore Mampong project stalled in 2009 in 2017, but the new Board of Trustees of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), under the Chairmanship of Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, took steps to fast-track the completion of the then abandoned project, in line with the government’s commitment to provide affordable housing for Ghanaians.
Subsequently, the Board approved a total of GH¢256,972,988.04 for SSNIT to complete the project within two years.
It is made up of 1,053 units ( making up 91 blocks), comprising 26 shops, 336 one-bedrooms, and 691 two-bedrooms. All the blocks have been named using Adinkra symbols to reflect the culture and traditions of the Asante Kingdom.
Nana Akufo-Addo told the gathering that “Today is a very good day for me, as two important projects (Boankra Inland Port and the Asokore Mampong Affordable Housing Units) initiated by my boss, former President Kufuor, have been brought to completion for me.”
He expressed worry that after the exit of the New Patriotic Party from office in 2009, the projects were abandoned by the Mahama government, adding however that, “God being so good, He has made it possible for us to complete them.”
The President applauded the decision to name the Asokore-Mampong housing project after Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, describing it as “an excellent decision”.
Director General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, expressed profound gratitude to the Asantehene for accepting that his name be conferred on the estate.
He noted that the project was not only meant to solve the nation’s housing deficits but also being used as an investment asset under the pension scheme.
“We are a pension fund created by statute and our job, among other [functions], is to invest funds of contributors to generate adequate returns so that we can continue to pay benefits to retired workers and their dependants, and the Osei Tutu II Estate is one of such investments to meet our obligations and to ensure sustainability of the scheme,” he indicated.
The Director General praised the President for his commitment to retiring indebtedness to the scheme, saying “presently, we receive half a billion Ghana cedis from your government every quarter toward clearing of contribution arrears”.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
