Government tackles Nana Ohene Ntow over ‘official’ bungalow

Nana Ohene Ntow The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing says it has formally written to the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Ohene Ntow demanding evidence of how he was allocated a government bungalow in 2001. The evidence, according to the letter dated August 21, 2009 and signed by the Principal Estate Officer of the ministry, Mr. Bernard Akuffo-Addo, will assist in an on-going investigation of government ministerial bungalows. It said failure to promptly give evidence on how bungalow NO. 15 on the 2ND Circular Road at Cantonment in Accra may compel the ministry to put Nana Ohene Ntow under a category which may not portray the right of status. Speaking in an interview with Asempa News, the sector minister, Albert Abongo confirmed that he (minister) directed that Nana Ohene Ntow should be served with the letter, notifying him that he(Nana Ohene Ntow) had occupied a government bungalow over a certain period even though he was not a government functionary. Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Dr. Hannah Bissew on Thursday told Asempa News government found it difficult to house its officers as a result of a policy the former administration pursued in the management of state bungalows. She said the former administration also sold a lot of such houses to private persons under strange circumstances. Dr. Bissew indicated that her ministry was in the process of compiling a list of such persons to bill them if it was found that they left utility bills unpaid before leaving. She cautioned that those who occupied government bungalows without appropriate authorization would also be surcharged for it. The deputy minister was of the view that the state should continue to pursue the policy of housing government officers and appointees, however, she urged that the system be sanitized to make it more effective and efficient. ‘The Informer’ newspaper first reported the issue of Ohene Ntow’s occupation of a state bungalow in its Wednesday, August19-23 edition. When contacted by Asempa News The Editor, Benjamin Essuman said the paper visited the Cantonment apartment soon after the NPP scribe vacated it. Contacts later with Nana Ohene Ntow indicated that he did occupy a government apartment when he was made a government spokesperson for Finance and Economy. Story by Kwadwo Asare-Baffour/Jerry Mordy Asempa FM