A Member of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Carlos Ahenkorah, sparked outrage on social media with his remarks about the cedi to dollar exchange rate.
Although Ahenkorah’s comments were focused on economic issues, users on X brought up a 2021 incident where the Tema West MP disrupted the voting process for a new Speaker of Parliament.
During a discussion on UTV on May 27, 2024, Ahenkorah stated, “With this dollar issue, I said that if not for the fact that NPP was in power, by now the dollar would have been GH¢50.00 against 1 dollar.
“This is because of the policy put in place by this government for the demand for the dollar to be this way, especially Gold for Oil. We would wish it was lower, but with the depreciation of 14 percent, it is far better than that of the NDC government.”
Responses to UTV’s post on X expressed frustration that, despite his televised electoral misconduct, Ahenkorah continues to speak on important national issues without facing prosecution.
Some criticized the media for giving airtime to lawbreakers like the Tema West MP, while others questioned how and why individuals like Ahenkorah get elected in the first place.
ALI SIDI (@BELLOSIDI) an X user reacted to the comment thus: “You’re free to talk this way because this wayward government failed to prosecute you when you broke COVID-19 protocols with impunity and snatched ballot papers, run, chewed and swallow them in the full glare of the public and on national television. So you think you have the license talk anyhow.”
Kay Parker (@su_pre_mo) said: “What do you expect from a member of parliament who stole a ballot box and chewed the papers?”
Virgin@25 (@Kobbystr_) also joined in: “These politicians are just evil.”
As of May 27, 2024, the Bank of Ghana’s Interbank forex rates show the Ghana cedi trading against the dollar at a buying price of 13.9480 and a selling price of 13.9620.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is bought at 14.80 and sold at 15.00.
The cedi is trading against the Pound Sterling at a buying price of 17.7712 and a selling price of 17.7904.
In Accra’s forex bureaus, the Pound Sterling is bought at 19.00 and sold at 19.70.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 15.1360 and a selling price of 15.1498.