North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said he is surprised President Akufo-Addo has been quiet over the SSNIT hotels-Bryan Acheampong matter since the issue became public.
He says the President, having cautioned his appointees against making business in public office, should have reaction to the brouhaha since it became topical.
During the swearing-in ceremony of his newly appointed ministers, the President reiterated his position that his administration is not an avenue for profit-making, and admonished the appointees to leave a legacy of service.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ablakwa, who was speaking on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, May 25, 2024, averred that he is disappointed in the President that Bryan Acheampong is breaching his directive to his appointees, but he has failed to comment on it.
“It is President Akufo-Addo who told us, not too long ago, that he cautioned all his appointees that those who want to make money, those who want to do business and be big time entrepreneurs, they should stay in the private sector, that his government is not a money-making venture. What has happened to that?
“That is why I am disappointed that even more than a week since we raised this matter, the President can step in… these are all his appointees who are breaching his own directive to them which he told us publicly. They have blatantly broken it,” he lamented.
Mr. Okudzeto added that President Akufo-Addo in that caution to his appointees “acknowledged the requirement in Article 284 and Article 78, the conduct of public officers and whether you can use public office to do big business and whether it is right to be purchasing state assets.”
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Background
The sale of the assets came to light after the Mr. Ablakwa, raised an alarm about it.
The MP has since petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) calling for an investigation into various allegations, including “conflict of interest, abuse of power, lack of due process, procurement breaches, cronyism, and graft.”
In his petition, Mr Ablakwa highlights what he views as violations of constitutional provisions, specifically citing Articles 78(3) and 98(2) of the 1992 Constitution. He contends that these actions represent significant breaches of legal and ethical standards.
Subsequently, both SSNIT and the Abetifi MP have come out to defend the transaction, describing the partnership as strategic and in the best interest of all.
