Hands Off Our Hotels’ Demo: Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa Successfully Staged Protest in Accra
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has successfully led the ‘Hands off our hotels’ demonstration in the principal street of La in the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday, 18th June, 2024.
The Honourable Member of Parliament was the principal convener of the protest. The demonstration seeks to abort the sale of six (6) SSNIT hotels to Rock City Hotel Ltd which has triggered controversies for some time now. The demonstrators started the protest from the Labadi Beach Hotel on the mainstreet of La. The march begun with the pouring of libation by traditional leaders particularly the ‘La Wulomo’.
The protestors made a strong case for a halt in transaction. Some inscriptions on the placards of these demonstrators read; ‘PENSIONEERS DESERVE BETTER’, ‘NEW PLUNDER PARTY’, ‘HANDS OFF OUR HOTELS’, ‘BRYAN FOCUS ON FOOD PRICES’, ‘LOOTOCRATS’, amongst others.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa held the principal position that the NDC and SSNIT contributors will not allow the success of thetransaction. He reiterated that Hon. Bryan Acheampong is a cabinet minister and Ghanaians are displeased with the idea of allowing the Minister of Food and Agriculture buy 60% shares of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels.
‘Rock City is also a loss-making entity. STC is SSNIT’s biggest loss-making entity. If SSNIT wants to sell shares they should start from STC. SSNIT has not been honest with issues. SSNIT should stop the deception, and Akuffo-Addo has no choice than to listen to us. He must halt the deal today’, Ablakwa said.
Some protestors also made the claim that their SSNIT contributions must be protected and that the protest is about all workers in Ghana voicing out their displeasure over the sale of the shares to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Bryan Acheampong.
The MP for La Dadekotopon, Hon. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah also made some key submissions to the media. She said the government has not dealt well with the people of La, stating that its decision to collapse some key public facilities including the La General Hospital, La Trade Fair Centrewhich have over the years been of utmost importance to residents of La and other neighbouring towns in Accra, has taken a huge toll on the residents who patronize particularly the La General Hospital.
‘Lives have been lost and I believe that if the hospital wasn’t taken down, people wouldn’t have lost their lives due to the negligence and ignorance of this government. The government abandoned the La General Hospital Project for so many years, and presently, when you visit the place, the construction is only at the foundation level’, Hon. Rita said.
The demonstration saw an array of young people and individuals of all class. Some other key demonstrators included the Trade Union Congress, La Youth Organisationand other individual organizations.
Other key conveners of the demonstration were the MP for Odododiodioo constituency, Hon. Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, NDC General Secretary, Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana.
By Bridget Anteh