The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is set to lead a protest today 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, which is 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 buyer. The North Tongu lawmaker argues that the sale lacks transparency and favors a government appointee.
In an interview with the media, Ablakwa emphasized the protest’s goal to pressure the government into halting the transaction. He questioned the rationale behind the sale.
“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 need 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 and now has controlling shares of 60 percent? He stands to benefit directly as the sole shareholder of Rock City. How can you explain this? What is he doing in the cabinet? Why are we paying him?”
Ablakwa further described the transaction as a clear case of state capture by government appointees. He called on the public to join the protest, expressing confidence in a massive turnout to send a strong message to the president that state capture must end.
