SSNIT scraps sale of four hotels after public uproar, Rock City’s bid withdrawal
SSNIT Board Chair, Elizabeth Ohene.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has halted its intended sale of a 60% stake in four of its hotels to a private hotel owned by Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
A statement from SSNIT issued just before midnight of Friday, July 12, came hours after the Minister’s firm, Rock City Hotel, also announced that it had pulled out of the transaction due to the massive opposition by stakeholders.
The brief statement signed by the Board Chair of SSNIT, Elizabeth Ohene, who had previously defended the deal, said the process has been terminated.
“The Board and Management of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) wish to inform the public that the process to divest 60% of SSNIT’s stake in the hotels has been terminated.
“We wish to assure pensioners, contributors and the public of our commitment to managing the affairs of the Trust prudently for the sustainability of the Pension Scheme.”
In a related development, Rock City Hotel, in a letter dated July
SSNIT assured pensioners, contributors and the public of “its commitment to managing the affairs of the Trust prudently for the sustainability of the pension scheme.”
A total shutdown of all public services is expected on Monday, July 15, after the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at an emergency meeting on Friday, July 12, called on all members to lay down their tools in protest of the transaction which had been approved by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).
The TUC call was heeded with alacrity as various unions in the health, education and other sectors also issued statements in support of the directive to start a strike action.
even government agencies have declared their intention to join the impending strike action by Organised Labour in protest of the proposed sale of 60% of Social Security and National Insurance Trust’s (SSNIT) shares in some four hotels.
This decision follows Organised Labour’s announcement of a nationwide industrial strike set to begin on Monday, July 15, 2024. They have directed members to stay away from work if SSNIT fails to cancel the controversial hotel sale.
The seven agencies that have committed to participating in the strike include the Public Utility Workers Union of TUC-Ghana (PUWU), the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of TUC, the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), Teacher Unions, and the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). Additionally, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians have also declared their resolve to join the strike.
Despite Rock City Hotel’s announcement of the withdrawal of its bid, the unions including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) insisted that until SSNIT comes clean on the way forward for the hotels, they were not going to back down on the strike threat.
According to them, Rock City pulling out was immaterial as long as the process could still go ahead to offload the shares to other interested parties.
Per the latest update from SSNIT, it is expected that organised labour may reconsider its decision on the intended shutdown of public services from Monday.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
