Accra-Ghana, Aug 30, GNA – The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority, has rejected the Police’s proposed route for its #OccupyBoG protest march to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Headquarters.
The protest march is slated for Tuesday, September 5 in Accra.
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader, in a letter addressed to Dr Sayibu Pabi Gariba, the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency said: “I write to reject your proposed route for the #OccupyBoG demonstration planned for 5th September 2023.”
“The proposal in your 23rd August 2023 letter was not an option discussed with us when my delegation met with you.
“Your attempt to deny us an opportunity to terminate our #OccupyBoG protest at the Headquarters of the Bank of Ghana on the pretext that it is a ‘security zone’ is untenable, troubling and unwholesome for the Ghana Police Service’s motto of Service with Integrity,” he said.
Dr Forson asked why the BoG Headquarters had been designated by the Police as a security zone and the Cedi House, another Bank of Ghana edifice that the Police proposed that they march through, not a security zone?
“I do not want to believe that you are citing or hiding behind “security zone” to thwart our planned protest and for the Police to shirk its constitutional duty of providing security for persons who desire to publicly manifest their revulsion and abhorrence at the central bank’s reckless management,” he said.
Dr Forson said they had successfully and peacefully marched through the routes that the Police was rejecting before, with the aid of the police, saying the Service did not have sufficient and compelling grounds to refuse to police the protest march on those routes.
He said Ghana’s constitution guaranteed a right to protest and it was their constitutional responsibility to ensure that the Minority did so along the routes they had chosen peacefully and securely, and the Police must live up to their basic responsibilities.
“Please prepare to honour your constitutional duty along the routes we have designated for the #OcuppyBoG protest on the date that we have informed the Police and announced to the good people of Ghana,” Dr Forson said.
He said the Police had reasonable notice and enough time to prepare.
The Minority Leader said their protest march was to back their demand for the immediate resignation of the Governor of Bank of Ghana and his two Deputies.
He said the trio had mismanaged the Bank of Ghana, illegally and excessively printed money between 2019 to 2022 in contravention of the Bank of Ghana Act, leading to a hyperinflation of 54.10 per cent.
Dr Forson reiterated that this pushed an additional 850,000 Ghanaians from middle income into extreme poverty.
He said their reckless mismanagement of the Central Bank also resulted in a loss of GH60.8 billion, causing a negative equity of GHCSS.1 billion.
He said the trio also illegally wrote off a whopping GHC48 billion of Government’s indebtedness, as well as other acts of financial malfeasance by the Governor, his Deputies and Directors of the Bank of Ghana as contained in the 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statement of the Bank.
Dr Forson urged the Police to accept the considerations of his highest regard.
