FAAJ demands immediate dismissal of SSNIT Director General

Social justice group, the Forum for Accountability and Justice (FAAJ) has called for the immediate dismissal of the Director General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Mr. Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo.

This demand follows allegations of misconduct and questionable dealings concerning the sale of SSNIT-owned hotels.

According to FAAJ, Mr Osafo-Maafo has shown blatant disregard for due process and ongoing investigations by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

The controversy arose over an alleged sale of 60% of several SSNIT hotels shares to the Minister of Food and Agriculture and a Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Mr. Bryan Acheampong.

The sale has been met with widespread opposition, including a petition by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. Organized Labour has also threatened massive strikes if the sale proceeds.

Despite the mounting opposition and a formal investigation by CHRAJ, Mr. Osafo-Maafo has reportedly accelerated the process to finalize the sale.

FAAJ claims since his controversial appointment as SSNIT’s Director General, Mr. Osafo-Maafo has been focused on pushing through this sale to benefit his political allies.

They condemned Mr. Osafo-Maafo’s actions as part of a broader scheme of state capture, urging all Ghanaians to resist this with determination.

They further called on the President to act swiftly and remove Mr. Osafo-Maafo from his position to preserve accountability and justice.

Read the full statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

FORUM FOR ACCOUONTABILITY AND JUSTICS (FAAJ)

CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL OF THE SSNIT DIRECTOR GENERAL;
MR. KOFI BOSOMPEM OSAFO-MAAFO.

1. The Forum for Accountability and Justice (FAAJ); a public accountability and social
justice interest group has noted with an alarming concern the total disregard and
disrespectful conduct of the Director General of SSNIT; Mr. Kofi Bosompem OsafoMaafo who is also the son of the former Senior Minister and current Senior Advisor to
the President of Ghana regarding the on-going questionable and disputed sale of some
SSNIT hotels to Mr. Bryan Acheampong; the Minister of Food and Agriculture and the
NPP MP for Abetifi.

2. The Forum notes that the Director General of SSNIT and SSNIT have since been aware
of the petition against the sale of the said hotels to CHRAJ filed by the Hon. Samuel
Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP) as acknowledged by SSNIT in its own statement of response
to Hon Okudzeto on 19th May, 2024 which stated in paragraph 13 that: “Given the
impending investigation by CHRAJ, Managemt of SSNIT will not comment further,
SSNIT will cooperate fully with CHRAJ through out its investigation process”.

3. We also note that on the 20th of May, 2024, Ghana’s organized labour who are the major contributors to SSNIT led by Dr. Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of TUC and the Head
of CLOGSAG, Dr. Isaac Bampoe Addo organized an urgent press conference to
condemn the said atrocious efforts by SSNIT to sell the hotels to the Minister for Food
and Agriculture, Hon. Bryan Acheampong and called for the immediate cessation of the
sale or risk the “mother of all strikes”.

4. Several other nation interests minded persons including civil society groups and
anticorruption crusaders have equally called for the abolishing of this deadly deal and
for it to be immediately aborted.

5. The Forum for Accountability and Justices however learned with extreme
disappointment that Mr. Osafo-Maafo has defied the pendency of the case before
CHRAJ and the many calls to halt the process of the sale, and has rather continued to
fast truck the completion of the tainted process for the inordinate sale of state property
to a government official.

6. FAAJ has gathered that ever since Mr. Osafo-Maafo was sent to occupy the position
of Deputy Director-General in charge of Investment & Development up till his
questionable promotion to the SSNIT top position after his former Boss was
unexpectedly removed by President Akuffo Addo, he has been preoccupied,
concentrated and leading the process of selling off the SSNIT hotels at all cost to his
party cronies despite the alleged irregularities and unconstitutional processes involved
in same and which has become a subject of enquiry before a competent state
investigating body.

7. The disrespectful disregard for the demands of the workers of Ghana who the state is
holding SSNIT in their trust and the snubbing of CHRAJ’s investigations by Mr.
OsafoMaafo smacks of a predetermined “Agyapadee” like- fashion to capture the state
of SSNIT as part of a grand scheme of state-capture at all cost and MUST be resisted
by the BOLD BLOOD and TOIL of all well-meaning Ghanaians.

8. The Forum therefore calls on the appointing authorities to dismiss Mr. Kofi
Bosompem Osafa-Maafo as the SSNIT Director General with immediate effect and
to stop the continuous efforts by SSNIT to sell the hotels against the interest of the
people of Ghana.

9. Whiles we count on the President not to embolden the perceived “Clearing Agent” tag
by refusing to act on our call and that being echoed by many well-meaning Ghanaians
in the interest of accountability and justice, we serve notice of our intention to contribute
and collaborate with all individuals and groups to engaged in series of serious
demonstration to demand for Accountability and Justice in the name and interest of our
mother land- Ghana.

FAAJ! Action for Public ACCOUNTABILITY & Social JUSTICE.
Convenor 1: Dr. Dr. Fred Awaa
Lecturer UPSA and President of the Awaa Research Foundation
024 310 1626
Convenor 2: Mr. Wonder Madilo
Former NUGS President and Businessman
024 476 4612