The Minority Caucus in Parliament has officially notified the Greater Accra Police Command about its planned massive protest on September 5, 2023, at the frontage of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) as earlier warned.
The protest, according to the Minority, would be participated by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Progressive Forces and other well-meaning Ghanaians. The purpose of the protest, according to a letter to the police signed by the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, would be to register their revulsion at what he termed as illegal printing of money by the BoG.
Background
It would be recalled that on August 8, 2023, the Minority issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Ernest Addison, and his lieutenants to vacate their posts after they allegedly supervised the loss of GH¢60.8 billion.
The Minority posited that the staggering loss of GH¢60.8 billion recorded by the Bank of Ghana was equivalent to $6 billion, which was twice the amount sought from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the country’s recent bailout.
According to them, Governor Addison and his collaborators within the government had, not just been clueless, but unresponsive, insensitive, and reckless in all their dealings, which had worsened the plights of Ghanaians.
Dr. Ato Forson emphatically mentioned that the Central Bank of the state has been terribly desecrated by the governor, his deputies and the government to a point that the bank has become bankrupt.
The Minority Leader therefore, called for the resignation of the Governor of the Central Bank within 21 days when their press briefing was held or face their wrath.
He said: “We are resolved to embark upon popular action to Occupy the Central Bank and drive out the team of inept, callous, and criminal [bad] managers of the finances of this country and Save The Bank of Ghana.”
Fast-forwarding
The minority has finally served notice of their intended protestation after the expiration of the earlier ultimatum saying the Governor of BoG, Dr. Addison, and his deputies as well as the board must leave.
The letter to the police asserted that the alleged illegal printing of about GH¢80 billion by the BoG between 2021 and 2022 adversely impacted livelihoods, business and pushed about 850,000 Ghanaians into poverty in 2022.
“As representatives of the Ghanaian people, the minority in parliament is totally disgusted by the crass mismanagement and reckless mishandling of the affairs of the Bank of Ghana, which resulted in a gargantuan loss of GH¢60.8band a negative equity of GH¢55.1b in 2022”. The letter read in parts.
“We are further protesting the many acts of financial malfeasance by the governor, his deputies and the Directors of the Bank as contained in the 2022 annual report and financial statement of the Bank,” It added
The letter indicated that the protest march was scheduled for Tuesday 5th September between the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.
Converging point
The converging point is the frontage of parliament where the protest would commence.
Frontage of Parliament House to the Osu Cemetery Traffic Light through the ministry of finance to the high court complex to Kinbu to Makola and proceed to the Rawlings Park to Opare Square to the Bank of Ghana.
They would finally picket at the frontage of the Bank of Ghana to demand the immediate resignation of the governor, his deputies, as well as the Directors of the Bank.
