The Accra Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service has successfully obtained an injunction to halt a planned demonstration by the Minority in Parliament, citing disagreements over the intended route for the protest scheduled for Tuesday.
The Minority had announced their intentions to stage a protest dubbed ‘Occupy BoG’ on September 5th, with the primary goal of demanding the resignation of Dr. Ernest Yedu Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), along with his two deputies.
The planned demonstration involved a march from the Parliament House to the headquarters of the Central Bank. This march was intended to intensify the Minority’s call for the resignations of the Bank’s top officials.
However, the police raised concerns regarding the proposed route, particularly highlighting the Central Bank’s headquarters as a designated security zone. The police engaged with the organizers on August 23rd, pledging security arrangements to uphold their constitutional right to protest. Despite this, they expressed reservations about the selected routes, citing potential risks to public order and safety.
Responding to these concerns, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, penned a response on August 28th, in which he rejected the alternative routes proposed by the police. He underscored the significance of concluding their protest at the Bank of Ghana’s headquarters, referring to it as a matter of both security and the Ghana Police Service’s motto of “Service and Integrity.”
Before a resolution could be reached, the police succeeded in obtaining a High Court injunction on August 30th against the impending demonstration. The injunction, pursued by Superintendent of Police (SP) Isaac Yeboah, specifically targeted key figures within the Minority, including Dr. Ato Forson, Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Masawudu Mahamah, Bernard Mornah, and Rex Omar. These individuals are all associated with Arise Ghana, a group that had declared its participation in the planned protest.
The High Court has slated a hearing on this matter for Monday, September 4th. The situation has garnered significant attention, raising discussions about the delicate balance between the right to protest, public safety considerations, and security concerns. Observers are keenly awaiting the outcomes of the scheduled hearing and its potential implications for future demonstrations.