Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, led hundreds of protesters to present a petition to the Presidency, urging the government to halt the sale of 60% shares in six hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
The hotels in question are the Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, Busua Beach Resort, and Trust Lodge Hotel.
The protest, dubbed “Hands Off Our Hotels,” saw demonstrators converging at the Labadi Beach Hotel before marching towards the Jubilee House.
However, they were blocked by police from reaching the presidential premises.
The protesters then diverted to Christ the King to present their petition.
The demonstration was sparked by SSNIT’s decision to sell its shares in these hotels to Rock City Hotel Limited, a company owned by Dr. Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
Mr. Ablakwa contends that these hotels are profitable and not operating at a loss, contrary to SSNIT’s claims.
He highlighted that the financial statements from the previous year showed substantial profits, particularly from the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Addressing the crowd, Mr. Ablakwa argued that the sale of these hotels would benefit political cronies rather than the Ghanaian workers whose pensions are invested in SSNIT.
“All what we want to hear is the abrogation of the sales of the hotels. These hotels are the property of Ghanaians and need to be saved from some people’s parochial financial interests and gains,” he stated.
The North Tongu MP emphasized that historically; the sale of state properties has not served Ghana’s best interests and insisted that such transactions should not proceed without the collective consent of Ghanaians.
Prior to the presentation of the petition, tensions flared between the protesters and the police.
However, calm was restored, and Mr. Ablakwa handed over the petition to Emmanuel Adumua-Bossman, Deputy Chief of Staff, amidst heavy security.
The protesters hope that their actions will compel the government to reconsider the sale and prioritize the interests of the Ghanaian people over political affiliations.
