Ghana opposition Member of Parliament for North Tongu and Ranking Member of Commitee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has characterised Monday’s nationwide strike by the country’s Organised Labour as a necessary stand against “state capture” and government overreach.
The strike, which commenced on 15 July, comes in the wake of a controversial attempt by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to sell its shares in four state-owned hotels.
A total of 10 labour unions are participating in the strike despite the government’s last-minute decision to halt a controversial sale of 60 per cent of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) shares in some four hotels to Rock City Hotel, a company owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.
Ablakwa, who initially exposed the contentious sale through intercepted documents, took to social media this morning to express his support for the industrial action:
“Today’s historic nationwide strike by all labour unions would have been avoided but for intransigence, belligerence, lawlessness, utter disrespect for citizens and unbridled taste for state capture,” the MP stated. He further called for immediate action, demanding that “The board and management of SSNIT and the NPRA should immediately be dissolved! The Employment Minister and the Agric Minister should subsequently be fired!”
The opposition lawmaker’s comments highlight the political dimensions of the strike, which has proceeded despite the government’s last-minute reversal of the hotel sale. SSNIT, a government agency, had attempted to sell its 60 per cent shares in four hotels to Rock City Hotel, a company owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong, before terminating the process under pressure.
Ablakwa’s statement frames the strike as more than a labour dispute, positioning it as a crucial moment in Ghana’s democratic governance. “Let today’s industrial action serve as an eloquent reminder to all Ghanaian leaders that real power belongs to the people,” he declared, adding, “You mess with the people at your own peril. A luta continua, vitória é certa!!! State Capture shall surely be defeated!”
The nationwide strike is expected to cause significant disruptions across various sectors in Ghana. As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on the government’s response to the strikers’ demands and the broader accusations of “state capture” levelled by opposition figures like Ablakwa.
This industrial action, sparked by Ablakwa’s initial exposé, underscores the importance of parliamentary oversight and the impact of public pressure on government decision-making.
