The Ghana Police Service has approved the Minority caucus in Parliament’s second protest, scheduled for July 30, aimed at demanding the removal of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison, and his two deputies from office.
The approval follows productive discussions between the police and Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga. In a letter dated Wednesday, July 17, the police urged the organizers to ensure that the protest does not disturb public peace.
The NDC MPs argue that the governor, who they claim oversaw significant mismanagement at the Central Bank, should be replaced with a more competent individual. They point to a GH¢60.81 billion loss recorded by the Bank in the 2022 fiscal year and the allocation of over $250 million for constructing a new headquarters as evidence of poor management.
On October 3, 2023, members of the caucus organized a protest calling for the resignation of the governor and his deputies.
The protesters gathered at the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and marched through several key locations, including Adabraka, Ridge Roundabout, and the High Court Complex Traffic Light, before ending at Independence Square. However, their attempt to present a petition to the governor was thwarted when he did not meet them personally, sending his head of security instead.
The initial protest was deemed unsuccessful, prompting the Minority caucus to plan a new protest date, which took nearly a year to finalize.
During this period, Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga filed a Right to Information Act (RTI) request to the BoG, seeking detailed information on the combined losses of approximately GH¢70 billion reported in BoG’s financial statements for 2022 and 2023, as well as the over GH¢250 million spent on the new head office and a clinic under construction.
The central bank stated that this information was available to the public.