Organised Labour Insists On Overhaul Of SSNIT Board: "They Don't Have Our Interests At Heart"
- Organised labour has insisted that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust's (SSNIT) board be removed
- Organised labour said the current SSNIT board does not represent the interests of workers or pensioners
- Organised labour said a full takeover of the board is their goal and they would continue until the demand was met
Organised labour has insisted on the removal of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust’s (SSNIT) board after the botched sale of the Trust’s four hotels.
According to organised labour, a full takeover of the board, including its chairmanship position, is in order and should not be delayed further.
Source: UGC
They also claimed the state agency had failed to yield any positive dividend for pensioners and Ghana’s working class.
In an interview on JoyNews, Isaac Bampoe-Addo, a leading member of SSNIT, stated that an overhaul of the board would ensure the protection of the collective interests of pensioners and workers.
He explained that pension funds are made up of workers’ money, yet SSNIT’s board composition does not reflect the important role of workers in the fund’s sustainability.
He said workers only have four seats on the 12-member board, denying them both a majority and controlling power of the board.
This, he explained, puts workers at a disadvantage and believes changing the status quo to include more workers is the right thing to do.
SSNIT's sale of hotels faces stiff opposition
Agitations against the SSNIT board’s composition followed the botched sale of four SSNIT hotels to a private company, RockCity Hotel, owned by Agricultural Minister Bryan Acheampong.
The sale hit a snag after North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed that the hotels were being undervalued and accused SSNIT of engaging in a conflict of interest after agreeing to sell to Acheampong, who is also a cabinet minister.
The MP then organised a demonstration in collaboration with organised labour to halt the sale of the hotels, which he said would shortchange the state if allowed.
The hotel’s sale was cancelled after organised labour threatened to strike nationwide, halting activities in Ghana.
However, reacting to yesterday's strike, President Nana Akufo-Addo argued that the decision was unnecessary and could have been handled differently.
Isaac Bampoe, on the other hand, said while the president was entitled to his opinion, he explained that organised labour had attempted negotiation before declaring the strike.
He said that now that the sale had been aborted, organised labour would focus its energy on overhauling the SSNIT’s board.
SSNIT boss justifies sale of hotels
In a press briefing on July 8, 2024, the Director General of SSNIT, Kofi Bosompem Osafo Maafo, said all hotels listed by SSNIT for sale had suffered a series of losses over the years.
He said the majority of hotels listed no longer paid dividends to the government, leaving the state with no other option than to put them up for sale. He argued that that was the only way to revive the state hotels.
Osafo Maafo explained that managing the hotels was a capital-intensive business that needs continuous capital expenditure; however, SSNIT does not have the means to sustain these hotels.
He said this was why SSNIT decided to find a strategic investor to take the hotels off their hands.
Akufo-Addo urges Ghanaians over SSNIT assets
YEN.com.gh also reported that President Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to be guided in the pronouncement regarding SSNIT assets.
He stated that SSNIT was working to improve the fortunes of its assets and cited a surplus of GH¢230 million they recently announced.
The hotels intended to be offloaded by SSNIT included Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, and Elmina Beach Resort.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
