…Washes Hands as Saglemi Scandal Boils Over
…Points Fingers as $5M Mystery Deepen
Samuel Atta Akyea, former Minister for Works and Housing under President Akufo-Addo’s first term, has denied authorising two controversial payments—one amounting to $5 million—linked to the stalled Saglemi Housing project. His comments, made during a radio interview on Asempa FM, come amid renewed scrutiny of the project’s financial trail and the role of senior officials in its execution.
Atta Akyea claims the payments were made without his knowledge, attributing the first to Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, the Chief Director he inherited at the ministry. The second, made in June 2017, occurred after Ziblim had retired, raising further questions about who authorised the transaction. The former minister insists he was kept in the dark and has rejected any suggestion of vicarious liability.
The Saglemi Housing project has long been mired in controversy, with allegations of mismanagement and inflated costs. A forensic report submitted to Atta Akyea in February 2018 detailed the payments and suggested irregularities in procurement and oversight. The minister has since maintained that his signature does not appear on any authorisation documents and has called for a full investigation into the matter.
Atta Akyea has pointed to possible collusion between officials at the Ministry of Finance and the Works and Housing Ministry, suggesting that payments may have been processed based on instructions from Ziblim without ministerial approval. He has also questioned the legality of a management contract signed in December 2016, shortly after the New Patriotic Party won power, which allegedly involved payments to foreign entities while bypassing the designated consulting firm, AESL.
The former minister’s defence comes as legal proceedings surrounding the Saglemi project continue. Alhaji Ziblim was later charged with 43 counts related to financial misconduct and appeared in court in a wheelchair. He was charged alongside former ministers Collins Dauda and Kwaku Agyeman Mensah, as well as Andrew Clocanas of OAS Ghana Limited and Nouvi Tetteh Angelo. The group faced 52 counts, including causing financial loss to the state.
In 2021, the Attorney General filed a nolle prosequi, effectively halting the prosecution. However, Atta Akyea has suggested that the case may be reopened, with Ziblim and others expected to answer for their roles. He maintains that the truth will emerge and has positioned himself as a whistleblower rather than a complicit actor.
The Saglemi affair continues to cast a shadow over Ghana’s housing policy and public sector accountability. While Atta Akyea seeks to clear his name, the broader questions of institutional oversight and political responsibility remain unresolved.