Feature: STHC’s Kwabena Ampofo Appiah, a colosus worth celebrating- Yaw Boampong writes
A COLOSSUS WORTH CELEBRATING – NANA AMPOFO APPIAH, A COMBINATION OF COMPETENCE AND INGENUITY, AN ASSET TO THE NPP.
He is a colossal Political Personality, a Transformational Leader, an asset to the NPP and Mother Ghana.
– Major Transformation at State Housing Company as Managing Director.
Nana Ampofo Appiah was appointed the Managing director of State Housing Company Limited in 2017. He has, since his appointment, transformed the dormant State Company into the most attractive, vibrant and leading State Agency today in the Akufo-Addo led NPP government which has won the admiration of many in the NPP and Ghana at large.
Ghana’s 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC) recorded the country’s population as 24.6 million, of whom approximately half lived in urban areas. The concentration was such that the primary cities of Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Accra, all of which are in the south of the country, held more than 28% of the country’s population.
Indeed, Families needed affordable housing in every social sector, whether small towns and villages, sprawling cities, or community. Housing needs has always presents itself wherever people live and work, and it takes many forms and has far-reaching effects. While vast majority of Ghanaians felt unstable and insecure at the slow pace of development of the country, housing insecurity touched nearly half of adults at some point in their lives.
It is trite that access to decent and adequate housing is often considered as a basic human right. However, low-income households faced difficulties in accessing not only affordable housing solutions but also housing of good quality. In Ghana, both the informal and formal sector supply of housing continues to be inadequate to meet the increasing demand. As a result, the impact of affordable housing to the growing economy of Ghana could not be overstated.
The State Housing Company Limited is mandated by law to increase the availability of dwelling houses in Ghana by developing, building and managing public housing estates throughout the country.
Housing in Ghana is challenged in all aspects. From land acquisition, through to construction of the physical structure, and access to basic services and infrastructure, as well as financing. The State Housing Company Limited was as challenged as the housing issues in Ghana due to poor management of the Company and largely, lack of funds and inadequate resources to carry out their mandate.
The State Housing Company under the abled leadership of Nana Ampofo Appiah has seen tremendous improvement unprecedented under the 4th Republic. The management of the dormant State Housing Company received huge boost since the appointment of Nana Ampofo Appiah as Managing Director. The Brand and Corporate image of the Company has also been improved overwhelmingly. The success story of the State Housing Company Limited cannot be told without the mention of the many projects underway, some of which are completed and many others at various stages of completion. This sterling performance was largely financed by managing the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) of the Company to execute all these projects.
It all started with a decision by the management of the Company to commission an audit on all properties belonging to the State Housing Company. This was a nationwide exercise embarked upon to develop and regenerate lands and estates belonging to the company. This effort accompanied with huge structural reforms at the Company is part of the many strategies which has accounted for the sterling performance being witnessed by the company.
With the aim of reducing the housing deficit in Ghana, the State Housing Company Limited rolled out a plan to construct and provide houses on a rental basis to abled and willing public sector workers to be able to reduce the unwholesome deficit. This was to provide decent and secure accommodation for these public servants. The residential facilities at Adenta, North Kaneshie, Borteyman in the Greater Accra Region, the New Estates at Sefwi Wiowso, the J A Kuffour Estates in Kumasi, facilities for immigration officers in Tamale, expansion of housing estates in Sunyani are the, many but to mention a few, projects currently ongoing by the State Housing Company Limited across the length and breadth of the country.
Moreover, the Company has secured several acres of Lands to construct affordable housing to help reduce the housing deficit in the Country. Notable amongst them are the 200 acres of land by the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II and about 205 acres of land at Dedesua, in Kumasi by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Nana Ampofo Appiah has also built an excellent relationship with corporate Ghana which has resulted in positive bilateral arrangements for the benefit of the State Housing Company on behalf of the good people of Ghana.
This has not only resurrected the defunct State Company but has also projected Nana Ampofo Appiah as one of the best CEO/MD of State Companies and Agencies Ghana has ever hand. The obvious reason for this is that, not only has he revamped the State Housing Company Limited but has significantly reduced the housing deficit in the country, and has brought the State Company back to profitability.
The once upon the time State Housing Company that was bridled with over 400 legal suits which had the capacity to cripple the company’s fortunes, and which was admitted by the previous leadership of the Company, under the previous Government, to the Sole Judgment Debt Commissioner, that due to the poor state of affairs of the company, it failed to attract buyers, same is that State Housing Company Limited under the abled leadership of Nana Ampofo Appiah.
This impeccable record of the Managing Director of the the State Housing Company Limited, Nana Ampofo Appiah, fetched him the prestigious award as the Best CEO in the year 2021 by the Trade Union Congress for turning around the dying fortunes of the State Housing Company Limiting into the now self-financing Housing Company providing affordable accommodation for the people of Ghana.
In recognition of his innovative and enthusiastic contribution to the NPP and the State Housing Company Limited, the NPP is blessed to have such a personality inspiring and nurturing many young folks in the Party.
His commitment to excellence is unmatched and has inspired and impacted the many that has encountered him.
There is no gainsaying the fact that in the body politic of Ghana, Nana Ampofo Appiah has written his name boldly in gold, in the history of the State Housing Company Limited and Corporate Leadership, as one of the Colossus with respect to management of State Agencies in Ghana bolstering hope that our State Agencies given the necessary retooling can work efficiently.
It goes without saying that today’s glorious image of the State Housing Company Limited which has won the admiration of many is largely by the dexterity of Nana Ampofo Appiah as its Managing Director.
– Nana Ampofo Appiah as a Grassroots Leader
Quite apart from his professional and corporate exploits as MD of the State Housing Company Limited, Nana Ampofo Appiah is one of the growing young political Stalwarts in the NPP. He is loved by both young followers and admired by many in the dominant adult-class in the New Patriotic Party. His prospects are evident and one of the most promising young influential members in NPP after the likes of Lawyer Justin Kodua Frimpong (General Secretary), Hon. Asenso Boakye (Minister for Works and Housing), Hon. Abu Jinapor (Minister for Lands and Natural Resources), Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye (National Organizer), Sammy Awuku (Director General of National Lotteries Authority).
This defeats the old-aged propaganda of the opposition parties that the youth can never thrive in the NPP, let alone to hold vital positions in the Party.
In order to respond to the needs of young people in the NPP and Ghana at large, it important to note that, young people’s active and meaningful participation in politics and in democratic practices and processes is very crucial. Meaningful youth participation and leadership require that young people have opportunities lead relevant institutions which has yielded evidence-based results and ensure that it provides inspiration and hope for the future like the story of Nana Ampofo Appiah as MD of the State Housing Company Limited.
This inspires confidence in the Youth as future changemakers and to ensure that the prospects of young people’s right to participate and be included in democratic processes and practices, which is very vital, are realized.
Nana Ampofo Appiah has distinguished himself as a grassroots mobilizer, an influencer and a pillar that holds a majority of the teaming youth of the New Patriotic Party. As a result, he is Patron to a number of youth groups serving as a father figure to many young men and women in the NPP.
Indeed, Nana Ampofo Appiah has always been a grassroots personality in the NPP. He has an undying love for the grassroots and has kept a consistent relationship with them always attending to their unlimited needs. He has served as a brother to the Youth and a father in many extreme circumstances. He is a gem indeed. Worthy of note is his exemplary human relations that welcomes every one both young and old to himself. This has accorded him huge respect in the rank and file of the New Patriotic Party. He remains an extremely significant part of the immediate and foreseeable future of the New Patriotic Party.
Nana Ampofo Appiah is a colossus worth celebrating, he perfectly combines competence and ingenuity and he is an asset to the NPP.
The Writer is Yaw Boampong also known as YBee, a committed Patriot.
ybacious@gmail.com
(+233 54 380 9425)
