Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, lead convener of the ‘Hands Off Our Hotels Demonstration’ and Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has criticized the sale of a 60 percent stake in six hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
He described the transaction as state capture orchestrated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Ablakwa expressed disbelief at the decision to sell viable hotels to a company struggling with its tax obligations.
He revealed that New Patriotic Party (NPP) appointees have repeatedly attempted to persuade Organized Labour to support the sale to Rock City Hotel, a business owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.
Ablakwa argued that if the government is genuinely committed to reviving the hotels, it should appoint new management teams instead of arranging a deal that benefits a political associate.
He emphasized that iconic hotels like Labadi Beach Hotel, which are profitable, should not be sold. Instead, the government should implement better management practices.
He highlighted the expertise and capacity of the current management of these hotels, contrasting them with Rock City Hotel. Ablakwa questioned the logic of transferring a controlling stake to an individual, especially when the International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that SSNIT might soon be unable to pay benefits.
Ablakwa suggested that if SSNIT were to restructure any company, it should focus on the State Transport Company (STC), which is 80 percent government-owned and has been experiencing financial losses.
