By Jesse Ampah Owusu/ Benjamin Nii Martey Botchway
Accra, June 18, GNA – Mr Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, the minority caucus of Parliament and some representatives of Organised Labour have kick-started “Hands Off Our Hotels” demonstration in Accra.
The demonstration is part of activities by the MP to “compel” the Government to halt the sale of 60 per cent shares in four hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Rock City Hotel Limited, a company owned by Dr Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
The hotels are the Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, Busua Beach Resort, and Trust Lodge Hotel.
The demonstrators converged at the Labadi Beach Hotel before commencing a walk to Christ the King to present a petition to the Presidency.
Mr Ablakwa said the demonstration was to urge the Government to compel SSNIT to abrogate the sales of its four hotels.
He said the hotels were profitable and not running at an operational loss as SSNIT had posited, adding that, the hotels per their financial statements last year had made substantial profits, especially the Labadi Beach Hotel.
He stressed that the hotels were making more profits than the Rock City Hotel, which wanted to purchase them.
Mr Ablakwa said the hotels were the property of workers who had their pensions in SSNIT and needed not to be sold to “political cronies” of the ruling Government.
“All that 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 said.
More to follow soon.
GNA