Exercise restraint in claiming your houses – Minister

Mr Collins Dauda, Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, has appealed to persons who contracted the State Housing Corporation (SHC) in the 1970s to build houses for them to exercise restraint.

Mr Dauda explained that some people paid monies to the then State Housing Corporation now State Housing Company for houses, which were never built.

He said those people were now putting pressure on the company to claim what was due them.

“All these pressures have the potential of killing the company, and if it eventually happens, SHC and all such persons will be at a lost,” he added.

He said this on Friday in Accra, when he paid a working visit to the SHC to interact with Management, Board, Staff and Stakeholders of the company on assumption of office as the new sector Minister.

Mr Dauda said his Ministry will not disregard any such contracts but acknowledged that it was going to be very difficult to meet the demands of all these persons.

“We will come up with a policy to deal with this issue once and for all,” he added, pleading with affected persons not to put too much pressure on the SHC.

Mr. Dauda also advised management of the company to ensure that they developed quickly lands they acquire to solve the problem of encroachments they had always complained about.

“If acquired lands are left fallow for a long time it will definitely tempt its original owner to re-use the land, especially when they are in need of money. Such lands could also seem to have no owners and persons who have need for such land will illegally use it, ending up in battles between encroachers and the company,” he added

The Minister warned workers of the company nationwide, who were facilitating these encroachments to desist from such acts so because their activities would gradually aid the collapse of the company.

According to him a mechanism to grab such persons was in the offing and culprits would be dealt with severely.

Dr Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah, Managing Director of SHC, said the Minister’s visit was a motivation for them to do more in redeeming the image of the company.

“The Minister, during a closed door meeting, gave a number of directives, which is aimed at solving majority of our problems and we promise to carry them out effectively and relentlessly,” he added.

Source: GNA