THE State Housing Company Limited (SHC) has begun a nationwide exercise to recover state housing assets from occupants who have failed to pay ground rent, renew their leases or regularise their occupancy, starting with the Greater Accra Region.
The company has engaged ANOK Holdings as its private asset recovery partner for the exercise, which officials say is not a demolition exercise but an effort to ensure accountability in the management of state properties.
As part of preparations, a delegation from SHC and ANOK Holdings yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, at his palace to inform him of the exercise and seek his blessings and support.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of ANOK Holdings, Dr Clemence Gyato, said the visit was necessary because the exercise would be conducted on Ga land.
Dr Gyato stressed that the exercise was not intended to demolish buildings but to ensure that occupants met their obligations.
He said occupants who had failed to pay ground rent, renew their leases or regularise their stay could be asked to vacate their properties in accordance with the law.
He, therefore, urged occupants of SHC properties to take immediate steps to regularise their status before the recovery team reached their locations.
“We can just advise everybody that knows they are living in State Housing property to do the needful. Run to State Housing today or tomorrow. Pick a form. If you have to go through the process of regularisation, do that,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer of SHC, Mr Ewura Adams Karim, said the company had, over the past year, given occupants several opportunities to regularise their occupancy.
He said in October last year, the company offered indebted occupants a 15 per cent discount to encourage them to settle their outstanding payments.
Some occupants took advantage of the offer, while others failed to respond, he said, adding that those with genuine concerns were allowed to negotiate payment plans.
Mr Karim said the company subsequently issued further notices, including a 21-day ultimatum for occupants to regularise their stay or vacate the properties, which had since expired.
He said the engagement of ANOK Holdings was, therefore, part of efforts to recover SHC assets across the country.
Mr Karim explained that the visit to the Ga Mantse was to recognise his traditional authority and seek his support before the exercise began.
“You cannot embark on such an exercise on the land of somebody and not inform him. He is a landlord of the Ga State, and that is why we have come to inform him today,” he said.
The Ga Mantse welcomed the delegation and commended it for the visit.
He recalled the recent flooding in Accra, which exposed the dangers of building on waterways, and stressed the need for people to comply with proper land-use regulations.
He pledged the Ga State’s support for efforts to restore order in the management of land and properties.
“Apart from that, people should not live anyhow, especially in Accra. We will use our strength to push this agenda, and all things should fall into place or go according to plan,” he said.
BY ENOCK KWAME OFORI & VICTORIA NORTEY
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