North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has released another exposé concerning the proposed sale of four government-majority-owned hotels.
In recent weeks, Ablakwa has published documents supporting his claim that the planned sale of the majority shares of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to a company owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong is not in the state’s best interest.
According to Ablakwa, some documents reveal that the hotels in question were profitable, while the prospective buyer, Rock City Hotels Limited, was operating at a loss during the same period.
In his latest revelation, Ablakwa highlighted that a senior aide in the Vice President’s office serves as the board chairman of one of the hotels, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.
He questioned the impartiality and advice this political appointee might offer in his role as board head.
“Prof. Kwaku Appiah-Adu is not only a senior advisor to Ghana’s vice president, Alhaji Bawumia, he is the current board chair of La Palm Royal Hotel.
“It would be interesting to know what his advice to the Vice President is as regards the infamous sale of SSNIT’s hotels to Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong,” Ablakwa’s post dated June 5, 2024, read in part.
His post continued with probing questions as to what Bawumia’s position was on the deal given the proximity of his close aide to the issue.
“How does Prof. Appiah-Adu also respond to claims from NPP propagandists and Majority Group Leader Afenyo-Markin that the current board and management of La Palm Royal Hotel are incompetent, inefficient and lack ideas, so in their opinion the sale to the extraordinarily competent and visionary Bryan Acheampong is justified?
“If what these NPP propagandists and Majority Group Leader have said about the current board and management of La Palm Royal is true, what does that say about the quality of advice he’s giving the Vice President at the expense of suffering taxpayers who pay him for that kind of advice?” the post concluded.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has tasked the Labour Minister to engage with organised labour who are demanding the planned sale to be halted.