The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has handed over 322 completed one-and two-bedroom self-contained flats situated at Kwabenya, Accra, to the Ghana Police Service. The number is part of a total of 514 police barracks.
It is for the relocation of the Ghana Police Service at the airport, to pave way for the implementation of the Aviation City project which government has envisioned.
The facility is part of measures to redevelop the 80 acres of land around Kotoka International Airport (KIA) into a modern commercial hub.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Kwabenya facility yesterday, President Akufo-Addo said “This, again, is testament to the government’s commitment to modernise our cities and provide decent accommodation and resources to our men and women in uniform.”
He remarked that not only will the Kwabenya police barracks improve the welfare of police officers, but it will also enhance their capacity to serve the nation more effectively.
COMPONENTS
Aside from the residential accommodations, the facility, which President Akufo-Addo in his address described as ultramodern, has a school, clinic, an astro turf football field, a tennis court, a standby generator, police station, fuel station and a workshop enclave.
It also has a two storey modern police station, a base workshop complex and a police mechanical workshop.
CITY PROJECT
Through a public-private partnership with Unique Development Company, the Aviation City project also falls under the broad plan, called urban renewal programme to redevelop prime areas in major cities.
The Aviation City area encompasses land adjacent to Airport City and stretches from Stanbic Heights through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to the Ministry of Defence. Currently, the land hosts a number of installations for the Ghana Police Service, including a barracks with primary and junior high schools, mobile force quarters, a rapid deployment force, a national protection unit, a fuel depot and a workshop.
Other occupants in the area include the Band Trooping Army of the Ghana Armed Forces, the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA).
There are ongoing 15-bedroom self-contained flats for the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the Ghana Airport Company Limited and the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), projects whose completion is also crucial to the implementation of the Aviation City Project.
The President remarked that his government has, since 2017, made tremendous strides in this respect by launching several initiatives, but rapid urbanisation continues to put immense pressure on land resources.
This, he added, has led to the degradation of some prime lands, particularly in urban areas, making it imperative for the country to prioritise the optimal use of its land resources.
“That is why the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission, has embarked on an ambitious urban renewal programme, aimed at redeveloping prime areas in major cities across the country, including Kumasi Sector 18, Marine Drive Tourism Development Project, and Takoradi Beach Road Redevelopment Scheme,” he added.
LAND USE
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinarpo, said the project was a testament to the government’s commitment to the prudent management and utilisation of the lands and natural resources of the country.
He recalled that historically, large tracts of land have been allocated to state agencies for projects, but only small portions are utilised, a situation that was not a challenge some six decades ago.
However, the current population makes it important to put lands to optimal and judicious use and the urban redevelopment program will give a facelift to the urban cities of the country.
“Ours is to intelligently unleash our lands and natural resources in contributing significantly to the transformative programme of the government in constructing, here in our country, a prosperous ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’, he said.
Minister Jinapor thanked the President for his vision to modernise our urban cities through the Urban Redevelopment Scheme.
He said, through this Programme, government is redeveloping public lands in cities which are being underutilised to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country and give a facelift to our cities.
Mr. Jinapor said the Urban Redevelopment Scheme is being implemented in areas such as Kumasi Sector 18, which comprises of Ridge, Danyame and Nhyiaeso Residential areas, Old Tamale Airport, Ridge Sectors 1, 2 and 3 Residential Areas in Cape Coast, and the Aviation City in Accra.
He said it is to pave way for the redevelopment of the Aviation City that the new Barrack, together with the other projects have been constructed.
In addition to the Barracks, the Minister disclosed that similar projects are being constructed to relocate all the other agencies in the Aviation City enclave, including the Ghana Armed Forces, the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), and the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA).
The Minister thanked Unique Development Company Limited for partnering with Government to make the project possible.
He underscored the importance of land to socio-economic development, and pledged the Ministry’s commitment to continue engaging all relevant stakeholders to deliver a functioning and robust land administration anchored on integrity.
The Minister for Interior who also spoke at the event thanked all those who worked to complete the first phase of the project and called for a speedy completion of the second phase of the Project. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) assured the President that the Police will take very good care of the facility, and ensure that it serves the purpose for which it was constructed.
The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, who received the facility on behalf of his personnel, thanked the President for his commitment to improving the accommodation challenge of the Service.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, called for good culture of maintenance, while the Minister for The Interior, Ambrose Dery, assured Ghanaians that all the security agencies would work together to ensure the peace of the nation.
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