Former National Chairman of the governing NPP Freddy Blay has issued a one-week ultimatum to North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Management of TV3 and Johnnie Hughes to retract what he calls baseless and unfounded allegations levelled against him and his family.
The GNPC Board Chair who is incensed over the accusation of his family’s involvement in a state capture insists that “my children have legitimately acquired certain portions of the beach front from the LA Council and where they are operating doesn’t belong to the management of Labadi Beach hotel,” adding that the North Tongu MP is engaging in “cheap propaganda and to court public opprobrium against my sons.”
The Labadi hotel beach front which is a stretch of land that many individuals are operating as a source of entertainment has in recent times become a subject of controversy after the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged that a grand scheme of state capture is being perpetuated by top NPP officials.
The NDC accused former National Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay and his sons as the new owners of the beachfront which had always belonged to the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Mr. Ablakwa further added that the Labadi Beach Hotel has thus become the only beachfront hotel in the world which does not have exclusive control over its entire beachfront-sadly, because of the powerful politically exposed persons involved in this shady encroachment, the Board and management of Labadi Beach Hotel appear helpless.
But reacting to the allegations, Mr. Blay explained that the Beach management tried to do business with his children but negotiations broke down because they wanted more money from it. He added that after the hotel closed the entrance to the Polo beach Club, his sons therefore officially approached the La Council to aquire the beach front for its operations.
“If the hotel considers that somebody has taken it’s lands, the courts are there, they should go to court. I have seen correspondence that tried to negotiate for them to work together but it never worked – so nobody has taken anybody’s land definitely not my children, they are not involved in any state capture. Impression that’s being made by Okudzeto Ablakwa and unfortunately by some press men by Johnnie Hughes and tv3 management making Ghanaians know that those doing legitimate business without stepping on anybody’s shoes is an illegality, is unfortunate.”
Mr. Blay however issued a one-week ultimatum to the North Tongu Mp and Tv3 presenter Johnnie Hughes to apologises over the claims of state capture “I feel very defamed, were my sons are operating is not for Labadi Beach hotel, It is not their property and it’s unfortunate that Ablakwa and Johnnie making it look like I have stolen the lands making people call me a thief. I give Okudzeto Ablakwa and the TV3 management including Jonnie Hughes one week to render an apology to me and my family or I go to court”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ibrahim Alhassan
