By: Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Government is working towards implementing a sustainable system that will enable low and middle income earners particularly public and civil servants in Ghana to acquire their own houses on mortgage basis.
This is provided for in the National Housing Policy before Cabinet for consideration, which when eventually enacted by Parliament, will allow the target population to use at least 30 percent of their monthly emolument to secure decent residential accommodation particularly upon retirement.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Francis Asenso Boakye, announced this at the Pemso Public Lecture in Kumasi.
This year’s Pemso Public Lecture is the Seventh in its series and focused on the ‘Asante Architecture; The Past and Present Perspective on Spatial Planning and Globalization’.
It was organized by the Asante Professionals Club, an A Political non for profit organization under the auspices of the Manhyia Palace.
The President of the Club, Mrs. Ama Serwaa Nerquaye Tetteh explained that, the Public Lecture series are part of the contributions of the Club toward meaningful national socio-economic development.
The lecture was delivered by a renowned Architect, Osei Kwame Agyemang whose delivery traced the history of Asante traditional architectural designs in construction particularly houses in the context of modern built environment.
With the aid of pictorial evidence, Osei Kwame Agyemang noted that unlike in modern construction, almost every building particularly residential properties in the olden Asante system had a court yard designed with symbols that placed greater value on family cohesion, traditions, culture and discipline.
However, with the passage of time and the advancement of technology coupled with modernism and individualism, estate owners have now shifted to designs that virtually have no place for such values required to keep family history and traditions and suggested a re-look at the situation for the sake of posterity and history.
In a panel discussion the discussants, a Professor of Architect, Prof. Daniel Duah of the KNUST, a Legal Practitioner with expertise in land development, Mrs. Mariam Agyemang Gyasi Jawhary, and others identified various factors that have led to the deviation from the old, but unique Asante Traditional Architectural designs which they noted was best in the preservation and promotion of family values, history and traditions for the larger society.
Head of the Asantehene’s Land Secretariat and the Apagyahene, Oheneba Owusu Afriyie, who is himself a professional Architect, while blaming successive government’s penchant for contracting foreign firms and individuals for the construction of public facilities without regard for Ghana’s historical and traditional interests, said, “it is not too late for the matter to be re-considered for the sake of Ghana’s future generations”.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye, said the recent Population and Housing census has put Ghana’s Housing deficit at one point-eight million, a figure which is about 200 thousand less than previously estimated.
The Minister identified the lack of a specific statutory body to lead the planning, coordination and regulation of the housing sector as the fundamental cause of the failure of various affordable housing initiatives, hence, the drafting of a law to establish the National Housing Authority in this regard.
Mr. Asenso Boakye announced plans by the current government to ensure that public and civil servants acquire their own houses through a mortgage scheme.
The Asante Professionals Club used the event to recognize and honour three indigenes of Asante for their profound impactful contributions to national development.
They are Kwame Pianim, an Economist, Prof. Mrs. Rita Dickson, the first ever female Vice Chancellor of the KNUST and Dr. Charles Badu-Yeboah, co-founder and Managing Director of International Community School-Ghana.