The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has made it clear that the Majority caucus will not support the Minority if they decide to propose a motion to summon the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison, to appear before Parliament.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that the Minority has already formed a negative opinion about the Governor as evidenced by their street protest; hence his presence would be unnecessary.
He suggested that instead of resorting to street demonstrations, opposition Members of Parliament could have chosen to invite the Governor for a parliamentary session to address concerns related to the new headquarters building and the reported GHS60.8 billion loss.
In an interview on TV3 on Monday, he said: “We are Members of Parliament, we could have invited the Governor to come and talk about the issues that are not clear to us. You go on a demonstration and organize a press conference against the man then you come back to Parliament to move the motion [to invite him], do you want me to support that?
“Now, you have made up your mind that whatever has been done by [the Governor] is inappropriate, you are not going to countenance it, so if he comes to explain the issues, are you going to take it or jettison it?” the Suame MP communicated.
On October 3, 2023, hundreds of Ghanaians led by the Minority in Parliament hit the streets to demand the removal of Dr Ernest Addison, who is accused of mismanaging the Central Bank, after issuing a 21-day ultimatum for his removal.
The demonstrators marched from Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the Independence Square.
A delegation comprising some prominent NDC MPs such as Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and NDC bigwigs including National Chairman Asiedu Nketiah, later moved to the Central Bank premises to present their petition.
Head of Security at the Central Bank, Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd), rather met the protestors and informed the delegation that Dr Addison had been occupied by a team from International Monetary Fund (IMF) hence his absence.
The Minority Leader, Dr Ato Forson, in turn, got upset and vented his spleen over what he described as gross disrespect by the BoG Governor to Parliament and Ghanaians.
Dr Ato Forson refused to present the petition to Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd), stressing that another protest would be held in the coming days.
According to the Minority Leader, the next demonstration will afford the BoG Governor the opportunity to show up and right his wrongs.
In response to the demonstration, Dr Ernest Addison noted that the Minority could have employed other alternatives to register their displeasure instead of hitting the streets like hooligans. He described the protest as “completely unnecessary” while refusing to resign.
His comment has sparked anger in the Minority, who have now threatened to treat his matters differently henceforth.
Also, a section of the general public has condemned the statement made by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, noting that it smirks of arrogance.