The Minister for Food and Agriculture and MP for Abetifi Bryan Acheampong has denied breaching Ghana’s constitution in an attempt to purchase multiple Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had revealed that he intended to petition parliament over SSNIT’s decision to sell 60% of its stake in hotels to Abetifi MP Bryan Acheampong who is the owner of Rock City Hotel.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the Abetifi MP violated sections of the constitution by failing to seek permission from the Speaker’s office in his attempt to purchase SSNIT’s shares in four hotels.
He cited violations of Articles 78(3) and 98(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
But Mr Acheampong said Mr Ablakwa’s assertion that he was wrong in Rock City’s proposal to purchase the shares is false and baseless.
He said he has not breached the constitution as he is not involved in the Rock City Hotel’s day-to-day operations.
“I wish to state that there is a difference between Bryan Acheampong and Rock City. I own the company. I am the vision bearer, and that is what I have tasked them with. Occasionally, I check on the progress being made with the vision. Rock City pays contributions of about 1,000 staff to SSNIT.
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“You can check whether my name is on that list. I am not a director. I don’t make daily decisions for the company. I am a non-executive director. There is no breach,” Mr Acheampong argued.
He also expressed disappointment in his colleague for what he claimed were attempts to destroy him with the accusations.
“You are just adding things together and trying to destroy me and Rock City. It is most unfair, it is ‘un-Ghanaian,’ and you should stop it,” he said to Mr Ablakwa.
It will be recalled that Mr Ablakwa also petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to stop the sale of the hotels to Rock City, which has the Agric Minister as one of its two directors.
In his petition, Mr Ablakwa alleged that documents he has intercepted show that negotiations to sell 60% of the shares of the six SSNIT hotels to the minister’s Rock City Hotel Limited “are far advanced.”
He is seeking an investigation into various allegations, including conflict of interest, abuse of power, lack of due process, procurement breaches, cronyism, and graft.
The hotels under scrutiny in the petition include Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, Busua Beach Resort, and the Trust Lodge Hotel.