Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo Blasts SSNIT Over Botched Rock City Deal: “I Don’t Care”

• Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has criticised the Social Security and National Insurance Insurance Trust over the attempted sale of some state hotels
• Akuffo praised labour unions for opposing the sale of the hotels to Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong
• The hotels in question include Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, and Elmina Beach Resort

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has been critical of the Social Security and National Insurance Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in the wake of the failed attempt to sell off a 60 percent stake in four hotels to Rock City Hotel, owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.

Akuffo said the trust had deliberately run down some of the hotels so they could be sold for relatively cheap.

She told TV3 News her remarks could be considered defamatory but added that she did not care.

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“...a lot of public properties have been run down just so that the value will be run down and always at the end of some cycle or the other they do sweet heart deals and do this distribution among themselves. SSNIT can say I have defamed them, but I don’t care.”

She also maintained that the deal was riddled with conflict of interest because of the involvement of a minister.

During the interview, Akuffo further lauded the labour unions for opposing the sale of the hotels to Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.

Organised labour threatened to shut down the country because of the deal.

The trust had previously defended the move to sell a 60 percent stake in its hotels to Rock City Hotel.

Its response followed a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice on the conflict of interest in the deal.

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North Tongu MP Samuel Ablakwa led the charge against the deal, saying selling SSNIT’s shares violates procurement procedures. He also criticised it as a form of state capture.

Ablakwa further asserted that Acheampong breached the Constitution by holding a professional position without permission. This violates Articles 78(3) and 98(2) of the 1992 Constitution.

Why did Rock City withdraw its bid?

YEN.com.gh reported that Rock City Hotel expressed disappointment at the perceived lack of thorough stakeholder engagement before launching the bid process in a letter to the trust's director-general.

The hotel stated a lack of engagement had characterised the negative press and reactions the bid has received, leading to the group rescinding their bid and consenting to the bid being released to the public.

The hotels in question include Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, and Elmina Beach Resort.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh