National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced his intention to lead a team of lawyers in drafting a private member’s bill aimed at addressing the issue of Ghanaian politicians engaging in the sale or purchase of state assets.
Ablakwa asserts that this longstanding practice, which persists under the Akufo-Addo regime, must come to an end.
Taking proactive measures, Mr. Ablakwa has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate and halt the sale of hotels such as Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, and Ridge Royal Hotel to the Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Dr. Bryan Acheampong.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, May 27, Mr Ablakwa disclosed that respected Ghanaian legal luminary Professor Kwaku Azar has responded positively to his request to lead the team of lawyers that he’s putting together to have a private member’s bill “on this matter of politicians participating in the sale or purchase of state assets.”
“I want to end it once and for all, because this has opened a can of worms and it will appear that it started gradually in very small forms, an now it has taken a dimension that is not in the national interest and people are taking advantage of.
“Some politicians are taking advantage of grey areas and loopholes.
Matters that appear amorphous and ambiguous are not settled and so they are just engaging in naked conflict of interest so I want us to have a law that expressly bans serving politicians in executive positions from participating in the sale and purchase of state assets.
“And I want to thank Professor Kwaku Azar for leading the team. So in the coming days, we will be finalising our works and then we will share with the public what we have done.
I know that the right honourable speaker who is forward-looking and he is a reformist will support in this regard.”
The former Deputy Education Minister also hinted at an impending demonstration he would be leading against the proposed sale of SSNIT hotels to Rock City Hotel Limited owned by the Agric Minister.
According to him, despite the expressed opposition to the deal, the processes are still ongoing between SSNIT and the potential buyer.
He said he has already notified the police about the protest scheduled for June 18th.