Retirees should vacate government houses – Freda Prempeh

Government has cautioned retired public servants and unauthorised persons occupying government properties to vacate or face eviction.

Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Freda Prempeh, issued the warning in an interview with Moro Awudu, host of the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS), on Class91.3FM on Thursday, 17 August 2017.

She cautioned public sector workers living legitimately in state properties but not paying rent to do so or face possible ejection.

Lamenting on how some Ghanaians abuse government houses, Ms. Prempeh said, “There are about five or six categories of people who have decided to do their own thing with government properties. One is people who have been on retirement for so many years – sometimes about five to six years – and are still living in government properties and are not paying anything to government.

“The other category is also on retirement but they have given the apartment out to their nieces, their nephews, their friends and colleagues.

“Some too have even left the apartment and abandoned it and nobody is even living there and there are some people living in government bungalows that we don’t even have their data in the office. Those that we have their names on our data base, their data are not on that of the Controller and Accountant General so they don’t pay anything to the government. We have more than 1000 properties in Accra and if each person is paying GHS100 per month, wouldn’t we be able to raise some more money to put up more affordable house for people? But people are not paying and doing their own thing.”

The Minister recalled that, “A week ago, I wrote letters to some of the occupants, and people trooped to the office and to the Bank of Ghana to pay their rent and I raised GHS85,000 because I gave them 24hours that if you don’t pay your rent, I will evict you.”

She added, “Let me say again that we haven’t stopped our exercise. We are coming out with the police next week. If you’ve not paid your rent, if you are not authorised to live in a government bungalow make sure that you pack out.”