Sale of SSNIT Hotels: Ablakwa Petitions Akuffo Addo to Halt Transactions Through Massive Demonstration

Key Demands of the Protest

1. President Akuffo Addo should immediately stop the sale of SSNIT Hotels.
2. State assets should not be sold, especially profitable ones. Historically, since 1966, the sale of state assets has not been in the supreme interest of Ghana, and we therefore cannot continue on that destructive trajectory.
3. In any case, the government should not sell workers’ properties without the permission and consent of workers and all Ghanaians.
4. It is wrong, immoral, and unethical for Ministers and government officials to buy state assets. President Akuffo Addo must not preside over this detestable and dangerous practice, particularly when he assured the nation that his appointees who want to make money through such transactions should stay in the private sector.
5. A loss-making Bryan Acheampong’s Rock City Hotel according to GRA filings should under no circumstances be allowed to purchase our state hotels, particularly profitable ones such as Labadi Beach Hotel which posted profits of Gh¢ 158 million for 2023, paid dividends of some Gh¢ 25 million last year to the government, and has cash reserves in excess of Gh¢ 58 million in 5 bank accounts.
6. The SSNIT hotel sales have all the characteristics of classic state capture, which must be cancelled without further delay.
7. The Blay family should be instructed by President Akuffo Addo to stop the illegal encroachment, stop issuing threats, and get off Labadi Hotel’s beachfront. It is a national embarrassment that the Labadi Beach Hotel has become the only beach hotel in the world with ownership and control of its beachfront.
8. The Blay brothers should be made to respect the initial joint venture agreement with Labadi Beach Hotel and compensate Labadi Beach Hotel for the financial losses their reckless conduct has occasioned.
9. State assets should not be deliberately run down so that politicians will successfully sell them to themselves.
10. Bryan Acheampong and all politicians and politically exposed persons should never be allowed to buy state assets.
11. It must be understood that state assets are for all Ghanaians, not a few greedy, unpatriotic politicians.
12. If our SSNIT hotels are good for Bryan Acheampong and the Blay brothers, then they must be good for all Ghanaians.
13. The government must explain to Ghanaians why the so-called saviours of struggling SSNIT investment are not interested in saving real massive loss-making entities such as STC.
14. President Akuffo Addo should promptly dismiss his appointees within his cabinet and those on the SSNIT board and SSNIT management for engaging in this scandalous transaction which violates multiple laws and does not guarantee value for money.
15. President Akuffo Addo should commit to assenting to our Private Members Bill banning politicians and politically exposed persons from buying state assets when Parliament concludes the bill and forwards the same to his office.

Protestors Clash with Police

During the “Hands Off Our Hotels” demonstration led by Hon. Okudeto Ablakwa to petition President Akuffo Addo to halt the sale of SSNIT Hotels such as Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Ridge Royal among others, the police clashed with protesters over the breach of the agreement.

Prior to the demo, Ablakwa engaged the police and it was agreed that the destination point would be at Christ the King International School, but the police breached on it and stopped the demonstrators 200 meters away from Christ the King. In line with this, the demonstrators rebelled and some were seen pelting the police with stones, pure water, and other items. The police retaliated and fired pepper spray at them, causing some to retreat, fall due to a stampede, and get injured. These protestors were taken to the nearest hospital.