Co-Chair of the Citizen’s Movement Against Corruption (CMAC), Edem Senanu, has expressed strong support for Organised Labour’s strike, describing it as the right move.
The strike, which begins today, Monday, July 15, is a protest against the sale of a 60 percent stake in four hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Rock City Hotel, a company owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.
Organised Labour announced its dissatisfaction with the transaction and declared an indefinite strike if the sale was not halted. Under significant pressure from worker unions, SSNIT terminated the transaction on Friday, July 12.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s morning show ‘Adekyee Mu Nsem’ with host Citizen Kofi Owusu, Edem Senanu emphasized the significant contributions of Ghanaian workers towards the country’s independence.
He insisted that the strike should continue until the right actions are taken, criticizing SSNIT’s management of pensioners’ funds.
“The way SSNIT handles pensioners’ money is unacceptable,” Senanu stated.
He also accused government sector managers of failing to properly run state-owned institutions.
Mr. Senanu suggested that the hotels should not be sold but should instead undergo a change in management. “Selling the hotels is not the solution; we need competent management,” he argued.
He also criticized the procedure SSNIT intended to use for the sale, calling it nonsensical.
He urged Organised Labour to maintain the strike, not only against the sale of the hotels but also to demand broader changes in SSNIT’s operations.
“The strike should continue until there is a comprehensive change in how SSNIT operates,” he said.
Mr. Senanu called for transparency and reports showing that the SSNIT hotels are unprofitable and in need of additional funding. “We need to see evidence of mismanagement,” he insisted.
He agreed with Organised Labour that the hotels are not being managed well, citing a warning from the International Labour Organization (ILO) about the poor management at SSNIT. “It’s not enough that Rock City has withdrawn; we need to ask why the hotels are poorly managed,” he emphasized.
He pointed out that the interest from many investors in purchasing the hotels indicates that SSNIT is not managing them properly.
“The fact that so many investors are interested in the hotels should tell SSNIT that there is potential for profitability if managed correctly,” he concluded.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites✍️) / Ahotoronline.com
