Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says Board Chair of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Elizabeth Ohene’s recent article on the sale of 60% of its stake in hotels to Rock City Hotel does not address pertinent issues.
In her weekly column published in the state-owned newspaper, Daily Graphic, Madam Ohene expressed surprise over claims by Mr Ablakwa suggesting that President Akufo-Addo and his government were involved in the process.
“I am at a total loss to understand how the President and the government got into this. Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa appears to know something I don’t,” parts of her article read.
She, among other things, said the Minister for Food and Agriculture’s hotel won the bid through a clear and transparent process after the announcement in the Ghanaian Times, Economist and the Daily Graphic Newspaper.
Responding to Miss Ohene’s statement, the North Tongu legislator argued that although the Board Chair’s response was late, it was better than the board turning a blind eye to their concerns.
Mr Ablakwa said that although Miss Ohene admitted that the decision to sell SSNIT assets began before her assumption of office, he questioned why the board was pushing through with such a sale.
“The Honorable Elizabeth Ohene does not address the fundamental question of why are you selling these hotels. Basically profitable hotels with prime asset that has not been addressed,” he said.
Also, he said the Board Chair avoided the conflict of interest issues, which he claimed were at the heart of the national uproar.
“Why should government officials be selling state assets to themselves…why is the honorable Elizabeth Ohene not addressing this issue,” he quizzed.
The North Tongu MP said that Miss Ohene failed to address issues raised in the valuation report and how SSNIT was offering its stake in the hotels to Bryan Acheampong’s Rock City at $61 million, which was far below the valuation report of $121 million.
“So there are real issues that have not been addressed. Right from the conflict of interest angles, the issues relating to due diligence which clearly, SSNIT did not do. All the way to value for money,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, he said he would soon announce the date for the “Hands off Our Hotels” demonstration in the Central Region.
On the same show, Convener of Citizens Movement against Corruption Edem Senanu said Miss Ohene breached protocol by addressing the matter in her private column.
He said the matter “should have been picked up officially with a letterhead. Perhaps you have a public officer put it out there and we can engage around it. Writing in her own column appears to me not to be taking this matter as seriously as the citizens of this country want it to be tackled.”
Mr Senanu added that she had ignored the substantive issues in regard to the sale. He said there has since not been any explanation whatsoever.
“I don’t think that Madam Ohene provides for us any value in this personal article in her own column which does not address the substantive things,” he added.
The Convener said her article raises questions on whether she [Elizabeth Ohene] had the capacity to analyze important issues and address them appropriately as a board chair.
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