Labour Expert, Austin Gamey, has told Parliament to take a keen interest in the the sale of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels.
He said the Public Accounts Committee (PCA) must make it a priority to probe the matter.
“Parliament should take a key interest in this development, and and the Public Accounts Committee must look into it,” Mr Gamey said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Monday, May 20.
North Tongu Member of Parliament Sanule Okudzeto Ablakwa had petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe the sale of six hotels including Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, Busua Beach Resort, and the Trust Lodge Hotel to the lawmaker who is also the Minster of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong.
He is also seeking an investigation into various allegations, including conflict of interest, abuse of power, lack of due process, procurement breaches, cronyism, and graft.
“I have also drawn attention to blatant violations of Article 78(3) and 98(2) of the 1992 Constitution as diligent checks from Parliament’s Committee on Office of Profit reveal that Hon. Bryan Acheampong has not applied and does not have the permission of the Speaker of Parliament to hold an office of profit,” he said.
SSNIT had stated that it is seeking to partner with a strategic investor to raise capital to invest in the hotels, and also assist in their management.
SSNIT in responding to Mr Ablakwa said the primary objective of finding a strategic investor is to increase efficiency, profitability, shareholder value, and the long-term sustainability of the SSNIT Pension Scheme.
But a statement issued by SSNIT management said “The Trust is seeking to partner a strategic investor to raise capital to invest in the hotels, and also assist in their management. 2. The primary objective of finding a strategic investor is to increase efficiency, profitability, shareholder value, and the long-term sustainability of the SSNIT
Pension Scheme.
The discussion partly covered SSNIT’s strategic decision to divest 60% of its stake in the six (6) hotels in its investment portfolio.
The Management of SSNIT wishes to comment as follows:
1. The Trust is seeking to partner a strategic investor to raise capital to invest in the
hotels, and also assist in their management.
2. The primary objective of finding a strategic investor is to increase efficiency,
profitability, shareholder value, and the long-term sustainability of the SSNIT
Pension Scheme.
3. Accordingly, SSNIT went through International Competitive Tendering (ICT)
processes as prescribed by the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (ACT 663), as
amended by ACT 914, for the selection of a strategic investor.
4. The Trust commenced the process with the engagement of a Transaction
Advisor through the ICT method of procurement, with publication of
advertisements in the Daily Graphic on 14th November, 2018 and in the Ghanaian
Times on 15th November, 2018.
6. Approval was sought from the Central Tender Review Committee (CTRC) for the
selection of a Transaction Advisor on 12th December, 2019 and that was granted
on 24th December, 2019.
7. Following the selection of the independent Transaction Advisor to guide the
selection of a Strategic investor amongst others, further advertisements for an
9. Expression of Interest (EOI) for a Strategic Partner for the SSNIT Hotels were
placed in the Daily Graphic on 3rd February, 2022 and in the Ghanaian Times on
7th February, 2022. The advertisement was also published in The Economist
Magazine on 26th February, 2022.
