By BRIGHT NTRAMAH
President Akufo-Addo has inaugurated an ultramodern police station at Kwabenya in the Greater Accra region.
The first phase of the project includes 322, one and two-bedroom housing units which will also go a long way to curb the accommodation challenges of the police.
Other facilities of the barracks include a school complex, a clinic, sporting facilities such as AstroTurf football field, volleyball and basketball courts, and a two-story modern police station, among others.
President Akufo-Addo expressed the unwavering commitment of the government to provide decent accommodation for Ghana’s security personnel.
“This, again, is a testament to Government’s commitment to modernise our cities and provide decent accommodation and resources to our men and women in uniform,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
He noted that building a modern and prosperous Ghana requires that “we continue to invest in infrastructural development, the provision of essential services, and the improvement of the living conditions of our people, even in the midst of global economic crisis”.
The importance of land to this modern, prosperous Ghana cannot be overstated, he added. The government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission, has embarked on an ambitious urban renewal project aimed at redeveloping prime areas in major cities.
The ultra-modern police station is an outcome of such an urban renewal project, the Aviation City redevelopment project at the Airport enclave.
The facility comprises 514, one- and two-bedroom self-contained flats, of which 322 have been completed. In addition to the residential accommodation, the project also provides a school, a modern clinic, and a fuel-filling station, among others.
President Akufo-Addo, who inaugurated the project, said the facility will not only improve the welfare of police officers but will also enhance their capacity to serve the nation effectively.
The World Bank estimates that Ghana’s urban population will reach seventy-two percent (72%) by 2035. The President said this presents a unique challenge, as well as an opportunity to develop innovative solutions to the growing demand for housing, infrastructure, and public services in our major cities.
To address this challenge, government he noted has been working tirelessly to implement a comprehensive urban development strategy, which includes the construction of affordable housing units, the expansion of transportation networks, and the modernisation of public facilities, such as schools, hospitals, and police stations.
He urged the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the private developer to complete the remaining housing units and other facilities that make up the second phase of the project.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said his ministry will continue to protect public Lands for future development. The Minister for the Interior, Greater Accra Regional Ministers, and the IGP were present at the inauguration.