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Yaw
Buaben
Asamoa,
spokesperson
of
independent
presidential
aspirant,
Alan
Kyermaten
has
appealed
to
labour
unions
to
rescind
their
decision
to
go
on
strike
due
to
the
sale
of
the
hotels
belonging
to
the
Social
Security
and
National
Insurance
Trust
(SSNIT).
This
follows
the
discontinuation
of
the
sale
by
SSNIT
management.
“I
want
to
call
on
the
workers
to
pause
on
the
strike.
If
the
threat
of
strike
has
caused
the
strategic
investor
to
review
its
position
then
there
must
be
a
way
forward,”
he
said
on
the
Key
Points
on
TV3
Saturday
July
13.
For
his
part,
a
professor
at
the
University
of
Ghana
Ransford
Gyampo
said,
it
was
heartwarming
that
the
Agric
Minister
Bryan
Acheampong
had
withdrawn
from
the
purchase
of
the
hotels.
This,
in
his
view,
is
the
most
important
thing
Ghanaians
were
expecting.
“What
is
heartwarming
is
that
the
man
himself
has
pulled
out
of
the
deal.
the
most
important
thing
is
that
he
is
not
going
to
buy
it
again,”
he
said
on
the
Key
Points
on
TV3
on
Saturday,
July
13.
The
Management
of
Rock
City
Hotel
has
withdrawn
its
bid
for
the
60%
shares
in
hotels
owned
by
the
SSNIT.
This
is
contained
in
a
letter
addressed
to
the
Director
General
of
SSNIT.
“At
all
material
times,
we
believed
that
we
had
participated
in
an
internationally
competitive
bid
and
were
happy
to
have
learned
of
our
success
having
edged
out
the
15
other
organisations
that
participated
in
the
process.
It
therefore
came
as
a
total
surprise
to
us
that
some
of
your
stakeholders
have
raised
concerns
about
your
decision
to
seek
strategic
partners
for
these
hotels,”
parts
of
the
letter
read.
Related
article:
Organised
labour
to
strike
on
July
15
over
sale
of
SSNIT
hotels
|
3News
“We
have
also
taken
note
of
ongoing
media
discussions
on
your
decision
to
seek
strategic
investors
for
these
hotels.
We
have
also
taken
note
of
your
recent
media
engagements
and
press
statements
ostensibly
defending
your
decision
to
seek
to
a
strategic
investor.
Flowing
from
all
the
commentary
monitored
and
the
undue
negativity
that
has
attended
this
commentary,
we
feel
you
have
not
done
enough
to
engage
all
your
stakeholders,
leading
to
perceptions
that
we
don’t
want
associated
with
our
brand,”
the
letter
indicated.
“We
believe
that
such
negativity
is
not
only
injurious
to
our
brand,
but
also
jeopardises
the
success
of
the
investment
we
intend
to
make
in
these
hotels.
Therefore,
we
are
writing
to
inform
you
of
our
decision
to
withdraw
our
bid
and
discontinue
our
pursuit
of
this
investment
opportunity,”
Management
of
Rock
City
Hotel
wrote.
“Finally,
in
the
interest
of
accountability
and
transparency,
we
consent
to
you
releasing
all
or
whatever
parts
of
our
bid
documents
for
public
scrutiny
or
publish
same
if
it
should
become
necessary,”
the
letter
concluded.
It
would
be
recalled
that
Rock
City
Hotel
Limited
won
a
bid
to
sell
60%
stake
in
4
hotels
owned
by
SSNIT.
The
hotels
are;
Elmina
Beach
Resort,
Ridge
Royal
Hotel,
La
Palm
Royal
Beach
Resort,
and
Labadi
Beach
Hotel.
It
later
emerged
that
Rock
City
Hotel
Limited
is
owned
by
the
Minister
for
Food
and
Agriculture,
Bryan
Acheampong.
The
Member
of
Parliament
for
North
Tongu,
Samuel
Okudzeto
Ablakwa
who
brought
this
to
light,
posited
that
it
smacks
of
conflict
of
interest.
He
therefore
petitioned
the
Commission
on
Human
Rights
and
Administrative
Justice
(CHRAJ)
and
followed
it
up
with
a
massive
demonstration
to
protest
the
transaction.
The
withdrawal
of
the
bid
by
Management
of
Rock
City
Hotel
Limited
comes
on
the
heels
of
a
threat
to
strike
on
Monday,
July
15
by
organised
labour.
