Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has hinted at a nationwide demonstration over the sale of SSNIT’s stake in four hotels to the Minister for Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Abetifi Constituency, Bryan Acheampong’s Rock City Hotel.
His comment follows an announcement by the Minister for Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions, Ignatius Baffuor Awuah, that the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has cleared SSNIT to proceed with its controversial plan to sell four hotels to Rock City Hotel.
The NPRA had asked SSNIT to put the transaction on hold after significant public opposition.
According to Mr Awuah, NPRA issued the initial directive because it wanted to be furnished with all the details of the sale.
He added, “So, as Minister, I can tell you on authority that NPRA has since indicated that they had seen the processes and they think that SSNIT can go ahead.”
Mr Ablakwa said the government’s refusal to heed the citizens’ call leaves them with no option but to demonstrate to resist the attempt.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on July 11, he said “In the next few days you are going to see a major announcement and we are going to roll out nationwide protests and other constitutional means of resistance. We are saying that we are Ghanaian workers, these hotels belong to us including the profitable ones. We are saying that they should not be sold”.
He advised the SSNIT management to step aside if they cannot manage the hotels, adding that it would be better for them to step down for a new management body to be reconstituted.
The North Tongu legislator said Mr Awuah must reappear before Parliament to answer questions on how the NPRA cleared SSNIT to engage in the sale despite countless complaints.
“If the NPRA have confidence in what they have done, they should publish their work. I challenge the NPRA to subject the review process to public scrutiny.
“They should tell us what they have reviewed and how in the face of all of what we have put out, all the documentation on this, right from the legal infractions, procurement breaches to the latest report from the transaction advisor when we have paid good money of over GH₵7 million.”
He stressed that, the Minister cannot just come to Parliament and make such an announcement without a report to back his claims.
On the same show, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, said the group is set to meet at an organised labour meeting on July 12.
He stressed that NAGRAT will suggest that organised labour lays down its tools to express its disapproval against the sale of the hotels.
“Our position will be emphatic that organised labour unions would have to go on strike and that will be the position of NAGRAT tomorrow [Friday],” he said.
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