Sale of SSNIT Hotels: This will be my position even if the buyer is an NDC member — Ablakwa

The planned sale of hotels belonging to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to a company owned by the Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong has sparked a conflict of interest debate in recent weeks.

Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been exposing the sale, arguing that it constitutes a clear conflict of interest.

He has filed a petition with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to look into the matter.

"This will be my position even if the person is a member of my party," Ablakwa noted in an interview on Accra-based TV3's New Day show on Wednesday, June 19.

Ablakwa led a demonstration against the sale on June 18, indicating that intercepted documents show SSNIT is proceeding with the sale to Minister Acheampong's company Rock City despite his CHRAJ complaint and public outrage.

However, in reaction, the Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party Richard Ahiagbah argued that no conflict of interest arises because the process to sell the hotels began in 2018, before Acheampong became a Minister of Food and Agriculture.

"The question of conflict of interest for me does not arise because the process to offload SSNIT’s interests in these hotels started in 2018, 5 years before Hon. Bryan Acheampong became the Minister for Food and Agriculture,” he argued.

However, the vocal legislator maintained, “Bryan Acheampong was a minister of state in 2018 in Akufo-Addo’s first term, he was minister when this traction began, according to SSNIT. Articles 284, 78 have been breached violently.”