The Minority in Parliament has expressed their unwavering determination to embark on a protest to demand the removal of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor, Dr Ernest Addison, and his two deputies despite an injunction granted by a High Court.

The Accra Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service successfully obtained an injunction to halt a planned demonstration for September 5, citing disagreements over the intended route for the protest.

The planned demonstration involved a march from Parliament House to the headquarters of the Central Bank, but the Police say the Central Bank’s headquarters is a designated security zone, hence cannot be among the locations. The Police also noted that the intended route poses potential risks to public order and safety and therefore called for a change in route.

While engagements between the Minority and the Police were ongoing over the matter, the latter proceeded to the High Court to receive an order that would halt the Minority from taking its planned route.

Reacting to the recent development, Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah emphasized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs disappointment with the Police.

He, however, assured that the protest will take place as scheduled by hook or crook.

“We received a letter on Wednesday from the Ghana Police Service accompanied by a bailiff from the Accra High Court who served a notice or motion for an order to prohibit our Bank of Ghana protest, and we must say that we are very disappointed with this development which is an attempt to scatter the protest which is intended to hold the governor and his deputies accountable for their mismanagement of the bank which resulted in an unprecedented and colossal loss of GH¢60.8 billion, an amount which has had serious consequences on the economy and pushed close to one million Ghanaians into poverty.”

“And let us assure the people of Ghana that, as representatives, we will keep our sacred duty and we will uphold the public interest in line with our constitutionally guaranteed right to publicly protest, and we want to assure the people of Ghana that we have resolved to embark on this protest and nothing will stop us.”

Meanwhile, the High Court has scheduled a hearing on this matter for Monday, September 4, 2023.

Reason for BoG demo

The Minority has expressed dissatisfaction over the unauthorized printing of over GH¢80 billion by the central bank for the Akufo-Addo government.

According to the Minority, the Central Bank by so doing, has pushed some 850,000 Ghanaians into poverty.

On the matter, the BoG Governor, Dr Ernest Addison has explained that the central bank did not provide funding for the government until 2020 and 2022, during the COVID-19 Pandemic and after investors in the capital market declined to lend to the government.

According to him at a press conference on Monday, August 21, the central bank strictly adhered to the zero financing of government expenditure until the economic difficulties set in last year.

Dr Addison said the financing of government policies last year was undertaken with prior consultation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).