Partisan politics, selfish interests stalling Ghana's housing development - Ahmed Ibrahim
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Ghana's new Works and Housing Minister Ahmed Ibrahim says partisan politics and a lack of continuity in government programmes are stalling housing delivery, pointing to Côte d'Ivoire's stronger record.
Ghana's inability to meet its growing housing demand largely stems from partisan politics, parochial interests and a lack of continuity in government housing programmes, the newly appointed Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Ahmed Ibrahim, has said.
Speaking at the official ministerial handover ceremony between outgoing Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei and himself, Mr Ibrahim argued that Ghana's housing challenges cannot be solved by one political party or one administration, noting that successive governments have initiated housing projects that remained incomplete after changes in political administration.
"What is wrong with us as a country? Too partisan, too parochial, too selfish. We need to eschew this and come together," Mr Ibrahim stated. He compared Ghana's housing record with that of Côte d'Ivoire, asking why Côte d'Ivoire has built about 50,000 houses in the last ten years while Ghana, from 2012 to date, has built 5,000 and cannot complete them.
The Banda Member of Parliament stressed that housing projects require political consensus because governments have limited time in office to conceive, finance and complete ambitious programmes. He cited the example of 160 houses being built in eight districts that remain incomplete.
He called for the establishment of a national development agenda rather than a partisan one, insisting that political transitions should not result in the abandonment of projects started by previous administrations.