Ministry 

of Water Resources,

The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has as its main functions the formulation and co-ordination of policies and programmes for the systematic development of the country's infrastructure requirements in respect of Works, Housing, Water Supply and Sanitation and Hydrology. The Ministry co-ordinates and supervises, by way of monitoring and evaluation of the performance of both public and private agencies responding to and participating in the realisation of the policy objectives established for the sector.

The Ministry has four directorates:

1. Policy Planning Budgeting Monitoring and Evaluation (PPBME)
2. Human Resource Development Unit (HRDU)
3. Research Statistics Information Management (RSIM); and
4. Administration and Finance

Implementing Agencies

For its co-ordination and supervisory functions the institutions and organisations perform under the Ministry for the implementation of policies and programmes.

Department Of Hydrology

This department is Responsible for programming and co-ordination of coastal protection and major drainage works and the monitoring and evaluation of surface water bodies in respect of floods.

Public Works Department

The Public Works Department, established some 122 years ago, has gone through a number of phases. This department is Responsible for programming and co-ordination of the rehabilitation, maintenance and reconstruction of public buildings and estates.

Rent Control
The Rent Control Division was established under the Rent Act of 1963 to be responsible for monitoring and establishment of guidelines relating to the regulations of landlords/tenants relationships to create enabling environment for socio-economic development of the state.

Department Of Rural Housing

Responsible for promotion of policies for rural estates development and the co-ordination of rural housing delivery programmes with District Assemblies.

Public Servants Housing Loans Scheme Board
The board is Responsible for overseeing the administration of loans to public servants under the scheme. The main objective of the scheme is to promote housing development for public servants and ensure their settlement during their retirement.

Technical Services Centre

This centre operates as Project Management Unit and a resource centre under the Ministry of Works and Housing. This sector is Responsible for the administration of World Bank funded programmes for the improvement of Urban Development that is it offers technical assistance to other Government Ministries and Agencies in their dealings with the World Bank and other Donors in the area of urban development projects viz, roads, drainage, water supply, electricity, sanitation etc.

Gwsc, Shc, Tdc, Aes Ltd

These agencies implement the various programme deriving from the policies of Government and collaborate with the private sector development in the areas of water, housing and other infrastructure and technical services.

Works Sector

The ministry's works sector provides technical support and consultancy services to public projects.

Water Sector
Another important sector, which the Ministry controls, is water. It is the policy of the Ministry that every community in Ghana will have access to portable water and adequate sewerage disposal system.

He obtained his GCE ‘O’ Level certificate at the Bolgatanga Secondary School in 1979.  He continued at Tamale Secondary School where he obtained his Advanced Level certificate in the year 1981.

In 1983, Hon. Albert Abongo graduated from the University of Science and Technology now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Kumasi and obtained Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering.

He pursued further studies abroad.  In 1992, he obtained a post graduate diploma in Ports and Coastal Engineering at the University of Trondheim, in Norway.

A year after, that is, in 1993, Hon. Albert Abongo pursued a Diploma programme in Ports and Harbours Engineering at the Ports and Harbours Research Institute, Japan.

Hon. Albert Abongo is awaiting his Masters Degree in Ports and Shipping Administration, a programme he pursued at the University of Ghana, Legon/Regional Maritime Academy, Nungua, Ghana in the year 2007.

    Amongst positions held in his political career are the following:

    1.    Member of the Democratic Youth League of Ghana - 1982
    2.    Government nominee for District Chief Executive, Bongo – 1998
    3.    Member of Parliament (NDC) for Bongo – 2001 till date
   
    Whiles in Parliament, Hon. Albert Abongo has served on various Parliamentary

    Sub-Committees.  These include the following:

    1.    Member, Select Committee for Works and Housing, 2001-2004
    2.    Member, Select Committee for Roads and Transport, 2001-2004
    3.    Member, Select Committee for Local Government, Rural Development and Environment – 2005

           till date
    4.    Deputy Ranking Member, Select Committee for Works and Housing 2005 to date
    5.    Member, Standing Committee for the Standing Orders Committee of Parliament  2001 to 2008
   
Between 1989 and 2000, Hon. Albert Abongo has worked as an Engineer in many capacities.  He was an Assistant Engineer and rose to the position of the Principal Engineer for the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Tema – Ghana. In that regard, he served in various management positions.

He was also an Assistant Resident Engineer with Sir William Halcrow and Partners who were Consultants/Engineers for the Port’s Rehabilitation Project.

Courses and seminars he had attended by the kind courtesy of Ghana Institute of Engineers are:

    1.    Contract Price Adjustment Formula; from 30th 31st of October 1996
    2.    Budget for Engineers and Management 27th -28th November, 1995
    3.    Contract Administration and Management 6th– 7th March, 1990
    4.    Management Practice and Management 1st – 2nd March, 1990

Others are Computer Aided Maintenance Software and Maintenance Philosophy organized by Engineering Management Consultants, Inc and Epsilon and Services Limited, GPHA, Tema (4-5/4/94) and Supervision for Productivity organized by Project Management Consultants Ltd. from 25th February to 1st March, 1991.  He has been a member of the Ghana Institute of Engineers since 1995.

    Amongst his extra curricula are:

    1.    Executive Member, Bongo Students Union – (1978-1979)
    2.    Branch Chairman, JFM – Gowrie – (1983-1986)
    3.    Financial Secretary – Senior Staff Association of Ghana Ports & Harbours
           Authority, Tema – (1997-1998)

Hon. Albert Abongo is married with three (3) children.

He was sworn in as a Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing in February, 2009 by H.E. Prof. J.E.A. Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana.