The President of the republic will be in the Upper region this week and residents can’t wait to ask the President about the Rock Estate affordable housing  project.

Mr. President, give us update on the Rock Estates affordable Housing Project.

One group that is pushing this agenda is the pressure group Narrative Changers. Narrative changers is  a pressure group in the Upper East Region and this recent crusade is being led by its Chairman, George Solomon.

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Mr. George Solomon is entreating the President who will be in the Upper East on the 4th of August to update the people of the region on why work at the Rock Estates, an affordable housing project in Pusu-Namoo in the Talensi District, has stalled. The project stalled  many months after the  flamboyant sod-cutting ceremony.

Background to the Rock Estates affordable housing project

You will recall that  the President,Nana Akufo Addo on the 29th of November 2019, cut the sod for the commencement of work for 120 affordable housing units at Pusu -Namoo  in the Talensi District of the Upper East region. The project which was dubbed the ROCK ESTATES according to the President and his government was to ease the housing shortfall in the region and the country at large.

There was funfair and excitement especially in the region especially those in the Pusu-Namoo enclave for  such a monumental project in their area. Supporters of the ruling party were bused from the various districts to welcome the president and to thank him “elephantly” for giving such a project to the region.

However the expectation of residents of the region has not been met as the project stalled just after take off.

The Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia also stated that the project was 20% completed in one of is usual updates  and it has been confirmed by  a local based radio station that at the time his excellency Bawumia made that statement, it was only a pathway that was made to the project site.

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A1 radio has indicated that as of their last visit to the site in April,2022, it was only one out of the Projected 120 units that have been partially completed with the contractor and his equipment being no where to be found.

The project was expected to put up detached and semi detached  2,3 and 4 bedroom apartments.

It is at the back drop of this that the Narrative changers are fronting on behalf of residents of the region for the President to give us an update on the project. The pressure group made this request on the Day Break Upper East show on  a Bolgatanga based FM station.

“We expect the president to at least say something about the [Pwalugu] multi-purpose dam. We also expect him to say something about the Rock Estates which he commissioned in 2019.”

NORPRA wants the President to speak on progress of Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam

Meanwhile  another pressure group  the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA) led by its chairman, Bismark Adongo Ayorogo has called on the President to as part of his activities for his visit, make a public statements about the progress of work at the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam.

“He should let us know about his much-cherished industrialization policy and how it is working and affecting the people of this region. I expect him to make comments on the progress of work on the much-touted Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam. In my opinion, it has the chance of contributing to solving over 60 percent of unemployment issues in the region or even in Northern Ghana.”

“I want the President to help us understand why the workers have abandoned the place. Workers were there and they decided to leave the site. We want to know what the explanation is. In cutting the sod, we were given a 50-month period. We are so many months in the given period. He [the President] gave the timeline; you did not give the timeline, I did not give the timeline. We trust that he knew and still knows what he is doing. So we want to know; why is it that workers have abandoned the site?”

Mr. Ayorogo continued to say, “I expect him to make a comment on health issues in the region. My understanding is that, in our medical stores, it is very difficult to find common paracetamol in it. All these and more, I’ll be interested in.”