National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, will lead a significant demonstration opposing the sale of four Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels to Rock City Hotel Limited, a company owned by Ghana’s Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
Mr. Ablakwa has vocalized the protest’s primary aim: to compel the president to halt the sale of these hotels. At a press conference on Monday, June 17, he confirmed that all arrangements for the demonstration were finalized, emphasizing that the protest is expected to be peaceful. He assured that any attempts to incite chaos would be managed by the Ghana Police Service.
Ablakwa revealed that officials from the presidency are expected to meet the demonstrators and receive their petition for submission to the president. The former Deputy Education Minister stressed the importance and urgency of the protest, aiming to ensure the sale does not proceed. “We have agreed with the police that representatives of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will walk from the Jubilee House and meet us at the Christ the King Catholic Church to receive our petition,” he stated.
Reiterating their peaceful intentions, Ablakwa assured the public of their law-abiding nature and commitment to the agreement with the Ghana Police Service. He emphasized that despite his petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the transaction, information suggests the deal’s finalization is still in progress. This has prompted him to take additional measures to exert pressure on SSNIT to halt the transaction.
As preparations for the protest conclude, Ablakwa’s call to action highlights the broader public discontent and the critical nature of the issue at hand.