Saglemi Housing Project chop chop: Collins Dauda says God will fight his battle for him

A former Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama administration, Alhaji Collins Dauda has turned to God for refuge following accusations that of corruption levelled against him in the Saglemi Housing projection. He has thus refused to make any public comment on the issue.

When approached for commentsm the Former Minister who has been accused of connivance, embezzlement and causing financial loss to the state, by the current sector Minister Samuel Atta Akyea, says he has no response except that “My God will vindicate me”.

The Government has given indications that it intends to arraign before court anyone found culpable in any malfeasance in the controversial Saglemi Housing Project to answer for criminal charges as well as take civil actions to recover monies lost to the state.

Atta Akyea, accused his predecessor in Parliament last week of presiding over an inept and corruption ridden contract for the construction of some 5,000 housing units for Ghanaian workers at a total cost of $200 million approved by Parliament. The project which was supposed to have been completed in 2017 was approved by parliament.

The Minister alleged that, the then Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, illegally and single handedly reviewed the original contract agreement approved by Parliament and signed his own restated agreement with the Contractor to downsize the number of housing units to be constructed from 5,000 to 1,502 with the same contract sum of US$200 million.

The Minister went a bit harder on his predecessor by insinuating that the former Minister was bewitched into approving some outrageous mobilization fees to the Brazilian Contractor, Messrs Construtora OAS Ghana Limited even before the project began. This, he said, was the ‘dubious act’ which has sown a seed of discord in the affordable housing project.

He said, “Rt. Hon. Speaker. I do not know if the then Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing (MWRWH) had been bewitched by the Contractor. A fantastic sum of US$80 million representing 40% of the contract sum was paid as mobilization to the Contractor by MWRWH. Immediately the sum of US$ 80 million was released to the Contractor, when actual work had not started, the Contractor transferred abroad US$40 million.

“I submit that the seed of bankruptcy of the Saglemi Housing Projects was sown by his dubious act. This racket was so strong that the Ministry did not demand a performance bond as a necessary prerequisite before the release of the US$80 million.”

When Opera News approached Alhaji Collins Dauda for an interview on the subject, he initially declined but upon persistence, he only raised his hands and pointed his fingers into the heavens and said, “My God will vindicate me”. When he was pushed further to say something to defend himself, he said, “I will speak at the right time. Since the Minister has chosen this time to speak, I will also speak at the right time.”

In August 2012, His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama granted executive approval to the then Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units by Messrs Construtora OAS Ghana Limited for sale to workers through a mortgage arrangement via Ghana Home Loans.

Subsequently, Parliament granted approval of the deal to Messrs Construtora OAS Ghana Limited who was to utilize a buyer’s credit of US$200 million for the construction of all the 5,000 affordable housing units.

Source: Clement Akoloh