The Police have issued guidelines for the planned demonstration by the minority in Parliament against the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Dr Ernest Addison.
The guidelines follow a meeting that the Police and the minority had on Wednesday, July 17 to discuss modalities pertaining to the protest.
“Pursuant to a meeting held between you and the Police on 16/07/2024 to discuss modalities pertaining to your protest, it was discussed that; a. Your protest will be held on 30/07/2024. b. The route of your protest shall be from Obra Spot-Adabraka Farisco-Ridge Roundabout – National Theatre Traffic Light- High Court Complex, then branch to Atta Mills Highway and terminate at the Kwame Nkrumah Museum. c. You shall select ten (10) protestors who will present the petition to the authorities.
“The Organizers are; To take necessary steps to ensure that there is no breach of peace.
To ensure that protestors conduct themselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after.”
It added “The Command assures you of our continuous cooperation and commitment to maintain law and order for the intended public protest within the mandate of the Ghana Police Service.”
The Minority in Parliament had decided to stage another demonstration against the Dr Ernest Addison following an unsuccessful attempt to present their petition during the first protest.
It will be recalled that on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, a coalition comprising minority MPs, NDC supporters, and various interest groups organized the #OccupyBoG demonstration, demanding the resignations of Dr Addison and his deputies over allegations of economic mismanagement and unauthorized currency printing.
During that protest march on the streets of Accra, the Minority’s effort to directly hand over their petition to the Governor was thwarted when the head of security received it instead. This action did not satisfy the opposition lawmakers and the accompanying crowd, who among others demanded direct engagement with the Governor over issues concerning the central bank’s policies and operations.
The upcoming protest is scheduled to commence at Obra Spot, a popular starting point for demonstrations in Accra. From there, the protesters will march through notable locations, including Farisco, Kingsway, and Rawlings Park, before ending at the BoG headquarters, where they hope to be second time lucky in submitting their petition to the Governor himself.
The protest will be led by the Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga after the necessary authorization and clearance have been obtained from the police.
Mr Ayariga, known for his vocal stance on economic and financial issues, is expected to spearhead this upcoming demonstration, rallying supporters and calling for transparency and accountability from the central bank.
The issues at the heart of the protest include concerns over monetary policies, inflation, and the overall management of the country’s financial system. The Minority contends that these issues have not been adequately addressed, warranting another round of demonstrations to press their demands.
The NDC MP has been on a longstanding crusade to hold the BoG Governor accountable through a series of demands and petitions to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and other relevant state bodies regarding the bank’s debts, construction of the new Head Office complex and the Governor’s multi-million-dollar residence, among other issues.
