Ablakwa to lead protest against sale of SSNIT hotels today

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, will today lead a protest against the sale of a 60 percent stake in four hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Rock City Hotel, owned by Food and Agriculture Minister, Bryan Acheampong.

Ablakwa, Organised Labour and other stakeholders have questioned the process that led to the selection of Rock City as the viable entity to purchase the hotels.

In an interview with Masem News, the North Tongu lawmaker stated that the protest is to force the government to terminate the process.

“If honourable Bryan Acheampong has the expertise and capacity to turn hotels around, he is sitting in cabinet, why doesn’t he bring that to bear so that we can turn these hotels around if indeed they turning around for it to benefit all of us?

“Why is it that he will only bring his expertise to bear when he has bought it when he now has controlling shares of 60 percent, he stands to benefit directly as the sole shareholder of Rock City. I mean, how can you explain this? So what is he doing in the cabinet? Why are we paying him?”

He added that the transaction is a clear case of state capture by appointees of the government.

“It is clear that this is all about state capture, and that is why all of us must rise up. If the numbers are massive, and I have no doubt that we are going to have a massive turnout, we will send a very clear message to the president that enough of the state capture.”