Sale of SSNIT hotels: Politics now the shortcut for people to amass wealth – Ohene Ntow

Senior policy advisor to Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Nana Ohene Ntow, has bemoaned the growing culture of state capture in the country, saying it will be difficult to abate if care is not taken.

He says politics has become the avenue where people amass wealth, the reason people have resorted to capturing state resources at the expense of the masses.

According to the stalwart of Alan Kyerematen’s Movement for Change, he fears for the younger generation who have developed this mentality, indicating the difficulty in living a normal life once such a culture is inculcated.

The former Director of Communications for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) tells Berla Mundi on TV3’s New Day Tuesday, July 16, 2024, that the aggressive approach towards the acquisition of State assets must be addressed before things get out of hand.

His comments come on the back of intentions by the board and management of SSNIT to sell off the Trust’s 60 per cent shares in some four hotels to Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.

Nana Ohene Ntow was commenting on the calls for the resignation of the board and management of SSNIT following their role in the attempted sale of the hotels, when he cited the words of a Kenyan minister who resigned for saying they haven’t treated their citizens well.

“A Kenyan Minister has resigned and his case is that ‘I’m sorry. We have not treated our people fairy. We have dealt with our people as if we don’t belong to corporate Kenya. They are not shareholders so that we who have come into government behaved as if we are the owners and we have brought untold hardships on our people.

“When I saw this video, and I asked myself, when would one principled person who is in a very juicy public office pursue the issue of principle and ethics and send a signal that can trigger some change in our mentality, attitude to power and privilege.

“Because it is as if politics has now become the short cut to becoming a billionaire. Especially the younger generation who are entering into politics right from school and once you get into that culture, it becomes very difficult to live a normal life. So this aggressive insatiable acquisition of state resources and assets is not going to stop now if we don’t take care,” he cautioned.

Background

Rock City Hotel, owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong was revealed few weeks ago has the sole investor which satisfied the bidding process to purchase 60% of shares in SSNIT’s four hotels.

The news about the sale of the 60% shares of the four hotels was met with resentment from all corners of the general public.

SSNIT in its defence said the process to sell 60% of its shares in the hotels begun in 2018 and was in its final stage and that Rock City Hotel had met all requirement to purchase the 60% shares.

It said the four hotels which were put up for sale were running consistent losses and SSNIT  has no funding to revive the hotels, hence, the need to put it up for sale.

When the matter came to light, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa vehemently opposed the bid saying state officials cannot “loot and share” state assets.

He further organised a demonstration to protest against the sale of SSNIT Hotels. Various labour unions also spoke against the move which further prompted the NPRA to direct SSNIT on June 28 to suspend its negotiations with Rock City over the sale of four hotels, pending further evaluation and engagement.

However, answering questions on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 11, Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah confirmed that NPRA has given the go ahead for the hotels to be sold after the Authority was satisfied that SSNIT has complied with all due processes.

He said the directive from the NPRA was only to ensure that SSNIT had complied with all the processes and documentation and not to completely prevent SSNIT from selling the hotels.

“Yes, it is true that NPRA came up with a directive, but I would appreciate it if my brother, my colleague, really read the directive from NPRA. It said it needed to be furnished with all information relating to the sale of the hotels, which SSNIT has since done that.

“So, it wasn’t like a direct something that SSNIT should not go ahead to do anything, but then, SSNIT can only go ahead when NPRA, which is the regulator within the field, had actually certified that they have seen all the documentation and the processes, and they think that we are good to go.

“Yes, so, as a minister, I can tell you tell you on authority that NPRA has since indicated that they have seen the processes, and they think that SSNIT can go ahead.”

This revelation prompted several labour unions to take action by declaring a nationwide strike following which SSNIT has terminated the controversial sale of 60% of its shares in the four hotels.

Source:onuaonline.com