The North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has questioned the ability of the Food and Agriculture Minister, Bryan Acheampong to transform the fortunes of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels he seeks to purchase with his company Rock City Hotel Limited.
Speaking with the media during a protest against the transaction at Labadi Beach Hotel, Mr Ablakwa said the deal is part of the numerous looting of state assets by the Akufo-Addo-led government.
According to him, Labadi Beach Hotel, Ridge Royal, and the other hotels are profitable facilities whereas Rock City Hotel Limited has been consistently reporting losses.
Mr Ablakwa, subsequently, questioned the argument that Mr Acheampong has expertise in hotel management.
“It is not about anybody coming to save these hotels. If that person had the magic wand and was the saviour, he would have saved his hotel which is making losses. While Labadi Beach Hotel and Ridge Royal are making profits, according to the GRA filings, Rock City has made losses and continues to make losses.
“Last year, Rock City made a loss, they didn’t pay any tax. This tells you that this cannot be about somebody with expertise in making profits or transforming hotels. This is just pure state capture. It is a classic state capture,” he stated.
In May, Mr Ablakwa blew the whistle on the deal and raised concerns about why SSNIT would sell 60% of its stake in the hotels to a minister.
Some have since come to the defence of Mr Acheampong that he could transform the financial fortunes of the four hotels.
However, the former Deputy Education Minister questioned the rationale behind the sale, emphasising that there is no evidence to suggest that Mr Acheampong could improve the performance of the state-owned hotels.
Mr Ablakwa further criticised Mr Acheampong for failing to utilise his purported expertise for national benefit while serving as a cabinet minister.
He accused the Food and Agriculture Minister of reserving his skills for his private ventures rather than contributing to the public good.
“… If you have such great ideas to transform hotels, Bryan Acheampong sits in Cabinet. Why do we send people to Cabinet? Under the constitution, the Cabinet is a place where you brainstorm and bring your expertise and know-how to bear. So why will you only bring your expertise to bear when it is your private property, when you have bought it, when you have annexed it and it is within your private domain?
“Is that the only time you will bring that expertise to bear? Is that not unpatriotic? Is that not callousness?” he questioned.
He continued, “That is not being nationalistic. Why then are we paying you as a cabinet minister? It means we shouldn’t pay you, you shouldn’t be in Cabinet. This is the height of wickedness.”
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