The Ghana Police Service has cleared the Minority caucus in Parliament to go ahead with its second protest demanding the removal of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Ernest Addison, and his two deputies. The protest is scheduled for July 30.
In a letter to Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga, the police stated that the approval followed fruitful engagements between both parties.
The letter, dated Wednesday, July 17, also urged the organisers to ensure there is no breach of public peace during the protest.
The NDC MPs argue that the BoG Governor, who they claim has overseen significant mismanagement at the Central Bank, should be replaced with a more competent individual.
This follows an earlier protest on October 3, 2023, where the caucus called for the Governor's and his deputies' resignation after the Bank recorded a GH¢60.81 billion loss in the 2022 fiscal year and allocated over $250 million for constructing a new headquarters.
The protesters intended to present a petition to the Governor during the initial protest, which started at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and proceeded through Adabraka, Ridge Roundabout, and the High Court Complex Traffic Light before ending at Independence Square.
However, the Governor did not meet them personally, sending his head of security instead.
This perceived lack of response led the Minority caucus to plan a new protest date, which took nearly a year to finalise.
In the interim, Mahama Ayariga filed a Right to Information Act (RTI) request to the BoG, seeking detailed information on the combined losses of approximately GH¢70 billion reported in BoG’s financial statements for 2022 and 2023, as well as the over GH¢250 million spent on the new head office and a clinic under construction.
But the central bank responded that this information was already available to the public.
Credit: Ernest K. Arhinful