The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, has commended the outgoing Chief Director of the ministry, Mr Solomon Atim Asoalla, for his candid contributions and sterling leadership over the past 31 years which has propelled the civil service and the ministry to develop in the right direction.
According to him, Mr Asoalla is a visionary man who had the foresight to develop key strategies to curtail lots of incidences that would have resulted in a disaster to the country.
Mr Asenso-Boakye gave the commendation in his remarks at a send-off party held in Accra on Thursday for Mr Asoalla to celebrate and bid him farewell for serving the civil service and leading the sector ministry to grow.
He eulogised the contributions of the outgoing chief director, in advancing the performance of the ministry for establishing appropriate institutional framework to guide and direct the works and housing.
Through the leadership of Mr Asoalla, the sector Minister said there was the enactment of major laws and regulations such as the Ghana Building Code, Real Estate Agency Act 2020, the Engineering Council Act 2020 (LI 2410) and the Ghana Hydrological Authority Act 2022.
“He also led the process of the review of the Building Regulations LI 1630 of 1996 and the Rent Act 1963 (Act 220) as amended as well as the revised Ghana Building Regulations and the Rent Bill 2022 which are before Parliament for consideration,” he added.
The Former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, said he also benefitted immensely from the diligence and wisdom of Mr Asoalla when he proposed to him to dredge the drainage systems in 2019 to prevent an incidence of flooding during the election year in an event of heavy downpour.
He said through Mr Asoalla’s leadership they worked closely to come up with Housing and Mortgage Plan to help the public by leveraging the mortgage fund to give mortgage to the contributors of the fund at a very reduced rate of payment in order for them to build their own houses.
Mr Atta Akyea who is the Member of Parliament for Akim Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region, charged him to use his 31 years experience to write a book on means to improve the Civil Service to boost the engine of government in order for the government to function well.
Amongst his achievements, Mr Asoalla successfully integrated E-learning, E-feedback and the E-leave across the Civil Service of Ghana.
In his remarks, the retired Chief Director, Mr Asoalla, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead various institutions under the Civil Service, noting that the resilience and dedication displayed by his administration were through hard work and charged his successor to emulate his good steps.
“I am always available at your service to help you in any advice or guidance to make the ministry work,” he added.
Mr Asoalla received plaques from various institutions he has worked with including the Ministry of Education and Ghana Hydrological Authority.
He also received a painting of himself and 75 inch flat screen television from the Ministry of Works and Housing as token for his services to the nation.
Aside that, there were other solidarity messages from the various institutions to commend his outstanding job.
Mr Solomon Asoalla started working at the office of the PNDC in 1991 and later worked with the Ministry of Education in 2001, from there, to the Head of the Civil Service then the Ministry of Energy before serving at the Ministry of Works and Housing as Chief Director in 2017.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY
