The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has submitted a formal petition to the government, calling for an immediate cessation of the sale of five hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Rock City Hotel, a company owned by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong.
The National Democratic Congress legislator and lead organizer of the Hands-Off-our-Hotels demonstration, while submitting the petition to the representative of President Akufo-Addo, strongly asserted that the sale of state properties has historically been detrimental to Ghana’s best interests and should not proceed without the collective consent of the Ghanaian populace.
“In any case, the government should not sell state properties without the consent of all Ghanaians. It is wrong, immoral, and unethical for ministers and government officials to buy state assets. President Akufo-Addo must not preside over this detestable and dangerous practice. Particularly, when he assured this country that his appointees who want to make money through sch transactions should rather stay in the private sector”.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP North Tongu Constituency
He noted that the petition specifically calls for an immediate halt to the sale process of SSNIT’s 60% stake in its five hotels, including the prominent Labadi Beach Hotel, to Dr. Bryan Acheampong and his Rock City Hotel.
Honourable Ablakwa emphasized that the hotels belonging to SSNIT are state assets and hence they should not be liquidated in a manner that does not benefit the citizens of Ghana.
On the other hand, Honorable Ablakwa expressed deep disappointment over the police’s alleged use of brutal force against demonstrators.
The protest, which took place on Tuesday, June 19, was disrupted when police intervened midway through the march.
This intervention led to confusion and the alleged use of pepper spray on some protesters by officials of the Ghana Police Service, exacerbating the already charged atmosphere.
The Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Honorable Ablakwa, who led the demonstration, condemned the police’s actions, stating that such measures against peaceful protesters were unwarranted and an affront to democratic principles.
Ghana’s Corruption Perception Index Score to Reach its Lowest Point
Amid the demonstration, private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu voiced his concerns about the perceived increasing and alarming nature of corruption under President Akufo-Addo’s administration.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu predicted that Ghana’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) would reach its lowest point in 2024 due to the rampant corruption scandals surfacing under the current administration.
“Ghanaians are very angry. I had to leave court and come here. But some people don’t have that luxury but every day when you interact with people, you will find out that people are very angry. They are dissatisfied with the corruption-ridden Akufo-Addo governance”.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, while recounting the decision by several Ghanaians to vote out former President John Mahama, hoping for better governance under President Akufo-Addo, expressed his regret.
He argued that despite the failures of the previous National Democratic administration led by former President John Dramani Mahama, the current administration has failed to meet the expectations of Ghanaians.
“We thought John Mahama was not good enough; that is why in 2016 we voted out JM thinking that Akufo-Addo was better. But now we’ve discovered that JM was way better”.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
Citing the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) scores, Lawyer Kpebu highlighted that under President Akufo-Addo, Ghana’s score has stagnated at 43 for four consecutive years, matching the lowest point of the Mr Mahama’s administration.
He emphasized that President Akufo-Addo’s fight against corruption since his assumption of power in 2017 has not been satisfactory, decrying the failure of President Akufo-Addo to punish perpetrators of corruption under his administration.
He warned that the country’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) scores is likely to worsen in 2024 due to the frequency of new corruption scandals,
“Every day, a new scandal. One day, one scandal. That is why we are very angry. We thought he was Junior Jesus and that Akufo-Addo would live above corruption, not knowing that he is the epitome of corruption”
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
The “Hands Off Our Hotels” demonstration saw hundreds of protesters taking to the principal streets of Accra, voicing their opposition to the sale of SSNIT’s 60% stake in five prominent hotels to Rock City Hotel, including the Labadi Beach Hotel.
The primary goal of the protest was to exert pressure on the government to halt the proposed transactions, reflecting a broader public sentiment against the privatization of key state assets without transparent and collective decision-making.
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