Use local building materials to reduce cost – Ibrahim

The Executive Chairman of Dar-a-Salam Group Limited, Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim, has attributed the high cost involved in building houses in the country to the soaring cost of imported building materials.      

He said since local building materials were not accepted, contractors had to go in for imported materials, which were rather expensive, thus making houses unaffordable.      

Alhaji Ibrahim made this claim in an interview with Daily Graphic during a reception held in his honour by his family and staff.      

It was to congratulate him on being awarded the champion of the Star of the Volta by President John Agyekum Kufuor.      

Alhaji Ibrahim, who was of the view that houses would be affordable when local and imported materials were combined, therefore, proposed the undertaking of research to promote the use of both local and imported materials in the building of houses.      

He advocated the setting up of more mortgage financing institutions to lend money to people to acquire affordable houses and appealed to the government to make financing available to boost the country’s industrial growth.      

Recounting his achievements, Alhaji Ibrahim hinted that determination and perseverance were part of the many ingredients that had helped him to attain greater laurels and commended his family and staff for standing solidly behind him all those years.      

He said the award had come as a surprise to him, since he had not been aware that the government and the people of Ghana were quietly monitoring his contribution to the society.      

“Honour such as this is a source of encouragement for me and people from similar backgrounds. That is why I was not surprised to read in the media that some people had expressed appreciation to President Kufuor for the honour done me,” he added.      

Born to illiterate parents at Kumasi Zongo, Alhaji Ibrahim was educated at the Anglican Primary and Middle School and later gained admission to the Ahmadiyya Secondary School both in Kumasi.        

A visionary in industrial development, he was the first to introduce Pheonix bicycles in the North by setting up a bicycle factory in Tamale. To date, he has investments in the transportation, real estate, banking, insurance, manufacturing and gold mining sectors.         

He is the Chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank, Chairman of the University for Development Studies Committee on the President’s Special Initiatives (PSIs), Chairman of the Junior Achievers Programme Governing Board and a trustee of the Institute of Social, Statistical and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, Legon.