Nana Ohene Ntow, a campaign aide for the Movement for Change, has expressed surprise and disapproval over the government’s failure to halt the controversial sale of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels to Rock City Hotel.
During an interview on “The Big Issue” on Channel One TV, hosted by Selorm Adonoo, Ohene Ntow questioned the government’s reluctance to cancel the sale despite widespread public opposition. He argued passionately against including the consistently profitable Labadi Beach Hotel in the privatization list, calling its sale improper, especially to a cabinet minister.
“I think whatever the procedure may be, a state agency selling to a cabinet minister is improper. I’m not saying it’s illegal or unconstitutional; I’m saying it is not proper, and it doesn’t sit well… It doesn’t make sense that the hotels are all loss-making. The facts on the ground don’t support that position. At least not for Labadi Hotel,” Ohene Ntow stated.
He highlighted that in 2022, Labadi Beach Hotel declared a dividend of GHC25 million to its sole shareholder, SSNIT, proving its profitability. He emphasized that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has also intervened, as the issue involves workers’ money and pensions.
“How can the government divest an investment financed by workers’ contributions into a public pension fund without listening to public opposition? I find that very strange and unacceptable to the people of Ghana. At least the Labadi Beach Hotel is a performing asset, and its divestment to private hands is improper under any circumstance,” he argued.
Ohene Ntow urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene and protect state assets, reflecting public sentiment.
“Public decency requires that if the government is dealing with public funds, pension funds, workers’ funds, and at least the TUC has spoken, the government must listen. The government must unpack the whole transaction properly. If the public is reacting strongly, neither the government nor SSNIT should insist on the sale. They should listen to the sentiments of workers, their representatives, and the citizens of this land. If nothing else, the President should intervene,” he concluded.
