Ghana currently has a social housing problem with a deficit of 1.7 million units, according to the Works and Housing Ministry.

The sector minister, Samuel Atta-Akyea, said this at the commissioning of Erduk Company Limited, a private construction and property management firm, at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Speaking at the gathering, the Minister, who described the situation as worrying, also acknowledged that such problems required public-private partnership to be addressed, since the government alone could not address that deficit problem, adding that government would engage companies like Erduk Company Limited “to wipe out this staggering housing problem”.

The Akyem Abuakwa South MP, who represented Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at the function, also used the occasion to counsel local contractors to be more competitive and also eschew negative stereotypes that tend to allow foreigners to flood projects meant for them.

”We have a sad culture that quality can only come from people with white pigmentation. Our minds have been colonised such that it is difficult to have a private Ghanaian setup that can deliver quality to compete favourably with foreigners because they, the foreigners, only come here to help but end up taking our monies back to their countries," he explained.

"The evidence is that when you give a job to a Ghanaian to do, the integrity and quality of the work is sometimes questioned. If that happens, then we are not encouraged to promote this culture where excellence is not properly in our DNA.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Erduk Company Limited, Eric Duku, said his outfit would continue to undertake various initiatives to reduce the current youth unemployment rate confronting the country. He also charged stakeholders to support him to achieve this aim.

On his part, Nana Baffour Amankwatia VI, Bantamahene, who represented Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, lauded Mr Eric Duku for his selflessness and commitment to creating opportunities for individuals across the length and breadth of the country.

He also urged government agencies and individuals to help the company flourish by patronising their products