The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has urged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to strengthen its political and grassroots mobilisation ahead of what he describes as determined efforts by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to return to power.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme in Accra on October 3, 2026, Mr Koomson said the NDC should not underestimate the organisational capacity of the NPP, arguing that the opposition party has experienced individuals capable of developing counter-strategies.
He said the NDC must therefore prepare adequately to respond to the NPP politically and organisationally rather than assuming that advice alone would change the opposition party’s approach.
“The other party has to also prepare and face them, boot for boot. They know what they want to do.”
Mr Koomson also referred to the controversy surrounding the proposed sale of SSNIT-owned hotels in 2024, using the episode to highlight the role organised labour and other stakeholders played in resisting the transaction.
In 2024, Organised Labour opposed SSNIT’s proposed sale of a 60 per cent stake in four hotels, namely Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel and Elmina Beach Resort.
The proposed transaction was eventually terminated after Rock City Hotel, the prospective investor, withdrew its bid.
Mr Koomson said organised labour participated in demonstrations and other engagements because, in his view, the hotels represented important national assets belonging to workers and pension contributors.
He maintained that rather than disposing of the hotels, SSNIT could have replaced underperforming management with competent professionals and given them specific targets to improve the performance of the facilities.
His position is consistent with comments he made publicly in 2024, when he argued that the solution to concerns over the hotels’ performance was to recruit competent managers rather than sell the assets.
The Ghana Federation of Labour was among organised-labour groups involved in opposition to the proposed transaction. In June 2024, organised labour and other stakeholders participated in a demonstration dubbed “Hands Off Our Hotels” at the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Mr Koomson said the experience demonstrated the need for political actors and the public to understand the history behind major national assets before forming opinions about their disposal.
Koomson criticises former officials
Mr Koomson also criticised former officials of the previous administration for leaving the country while their political party seeks to regain political power.
He argued that individuals seeking to return to government must first account for their records and actions while they were in office.
Turning his attention to the current NDC administration, Mr Koomson acknowledged that the government faces challenges but urged government appointees to communicate more openly with citizens and party supporters.
He said political appointees should make themselves accessible and explain the difficulties confronting them rather than isolating themselves from the people who helped bring the government to power.
Mr Koomson further called on the NDC to continue educating the public about its policies and achievements, stressing that some of the challenges confronting the country require time to resolve.
He said the governing party has an opportunity to demonstrate through its actions that it can address the concerns of Ghanaians and provide a basis for seeking their continued support.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah