Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the lead convenor of the “Hands Off Our Hotels” demonstration and Member of Parliament of the North Tongu Constituency, has called for the immediate dissolution of the board of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Mr Ablakwa said he is very disappointed in the SSNIT board led by Ms Elizabeth Ohene for failing to act to prevent the trust from diversifying its stakes in four hotels to Bryan Acheampong’s Rock City Hotel Limited.
The North Tongu lawmaker led hundreds of Ghanaians in the “Hands Off Our Hotels” demonstration in Accra on Tuesday, June 18.
This follows his May 16 petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate and stop SSNIT from continuing with the sale.
Moreover, Mr Ablakwa formally petitioned President Akufo-Addo to halt the sale of SSNIT’s 60 percent stake in the four hotels.
Akufo-Addo must immediately stop the sale of SSNIT hotels – Ablakwa
Speaking to Roland Walker on TV3 New Day on Wednesday, June 19, post the demonstration, Mr Ablakwa noted, amongst other things, that SSNIT should hire new management for the hotels running at a loss instead of selling its shares in all four hotels.
“One of our demands is that whole [SSNIT] board must be dissolved. They clearly are not working in our interest. How can labour ask you to stop and you don’t, labour is protesting. You are not at SSNIT working with your own money, you are working with money from workers. Workers contributions and we are talking about people’s lives, people’s pensions and SSNIT has been so unresponsive.
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“I’m really disappointed in the Elizabeth Ohene-led board, the lack of responsiveness, the stonewalling, refusing to listen to organized labour, to listen to the Parliament of Ghana. So that board should be dissolved,” Mr Ablakwa stated, adding that the trust should stop churning out “deceptive statements” because he has all the evidence that suggests that the deal is in bad taste for workers.
“This deal is not in the national interest, it stinks to the high heavens and the earlier they just back out of it, the better for all of us,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), in response to the allegations by the North Tongu Member of Parliament, said, among other things, that Rock City Hotel Limited presented the best offer for the purchase of SSNIT’s 60% stake in each of the four hotels.
“Based on the criteria set out in the RFP, Rock City Hotel submitted the best and strongest technical and financial proposal amongst those received. Consequently, it is in negotiation with SSNIT to buy a 60% stake in each of the four (4) hotels (Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel and Elmina Beach Resort),” SSNIT said in its May 19 press statement.
The post I’m disappointed in Elizabeth Ohene-led SSNIT Board – Ablakwa first appeared on 3News.
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