Fire guts uncompleted SSNIT bungalows

Mampong (Ash), Feb 4, GNA -Fire on Wednesday gutted the uncompleted Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) bungalows at Asante-Mampong, abandoned since 1994.

The swift arrival of the Mampong Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on the scene, however, saved the bungalows from being completely razed down. The fire occurred at a time the Mampong Campus of the University of Education, Winneba, had entered into negotiations with SSNIT to complete the buildings for use as accommodation for lecturers. This state of affairs so angered the youth of Mampong about the wanton dissipation of workers contribution, which was used to finance the construction of the uncompleted bungalows that they threatened to demolish the buildings for the site to be used for something beneficial. The 10 bungalows, being built as part of SSNIT's housing scheme cost 35 million cedis at that time, were abandoned in 1994 and now overgrown with weeds. It served as a den for drug addicts in the face of acute accommodation problems confronting workers in the district.

When the Ghana News Agency contacted Mr G.M. Ayisah, the Sekyere West District Manager of SSNIT on the issue, he could not say much as he assumed duty in the district only a year ago.

Mr Samuel Okyere Kusi, the Sekyere West District Co-ordinating Director, who was also contacted on the issue said, it was solely a SSNIT affair and that the district assembly had nothing to do with it.