Sophia Akuffo has stated that the recent issue of the botched sale of shares of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in some hotels is symptomatic of a broader issue in the country where persons charged with managing state institutions and assets deliberately run down those assets and sell them among themselves.
According to Sophia Akuffo, a former Chief Justice of Ghana, the age-long practice is inimical to the interest of the country, and the situation at SSNIT is no different.
Speaking in an interview, Sophia Akuffo stated that she was not surprised by the justifications by SSNIT, as that has been a practice in the public sector for ages.
SSNIT will justify it because they have run down the hotels, and just like in the public sector, a lot of public properties have been run down just so that the value will be run down, and always at the end of some cycle or the other, they do sweetheart deals and do this distribution among themselves. SSNIT can say I have defamed them, but I don’t care.”
Sophia Akuffo justified why the deal to sell the shares to Rock City Hotel, which is owned by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, reeked of conflict of interest and why it was not in the best interest of the country.
“Yes, of course, because a conflict of interest is a conflict of interest. You can’t be the judge or the jury, you can’t be the lawyer or the judge, you can’t be the litigator. After the evidence and everything else is presented, it’s time for the lawyers to make their case and decide the outcome. Decide, and now you are the jury, and you want to be a part of it.”
“Conflicts of interest are not defined by the individual. If you manage standards, a conflict of interest may be part of the performance standard. If you manage ethical standards, it may just be a perception.
“If a wise man on the street told him this, what would he say? If you come here, you will surely be told you stink, and you stink. If you are a public figure, just because there is no law against it doesn’t mean you should. It even says in the Bible: “I can do anything, but not all is good.”
Recall that on Friday, July 12, SSNIT, through its board of directors, announced its decision to sell its stake in Hotels Labadi Beach. La Palm, Ridge Royale, and Elmina Beach are for sale in Greater Accra and the Central Region.
“The Board and Management of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) wish to inform the public that the sale process of SSNIT’s 60% stake in hotels has been completed,” said SSNIT Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Akua Ohene, in a statement.
