Minority Puts BoG Protest On Hold
The Minority has halted all plans to stage their protest against the Central Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
This was necessitated by a police injunction against the protest pending a court ruling on the route of the protest.
It comes after the court today adjourned the ruling on a preliminary objection raised by the MPs’ lawyers to Friday, September 8.
The Minority has, however, assured that the protest will be held after the ruling of the court.
Background
The Minority scheduled a demonstration for Tuesday, September 5 to demand the resignation of top officials of the BoG over their roles in what it said is the illegal printing of about GH¢ 80 billion between 2021 and 2022 which contributed to an inflation rate of 54.1% in December 2022.
It said it would converge at Parliament, go through the Osu Cemetery Traffic Light, Ministry of Finance, High Court Complex, Kinbu, Makola, Rawlings Park to Opera Square and then the Bank of Ghana to present their petition.
But the police suggested they rather converge at Obra Spot, march through Circle, the Adabraka road building to the City Centre, Cedi House to Independence Square for security reasons. The police hold that the proposed route by the minority may disrupt public order, public safety and the provision of essential services.
In response to this in a letter to the Police on Monday, August 28, the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson disagreed and insisted on using their proposed routes.
“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,” a part of the letter said and further questioned, “How is the Bank of Ghana headquarters designated by the Police as a security zone and the Cedi House, another Bank of Ghana edifice that the police propose that we march through not a security zone?”
He added, “Please prepare to honour your constitutional duty along the routes we have designated for the OccupyBoG protest on the date that we have informed the police and the good people of Ghana. You have reasonable notice and time to prepare.”
The police thereby filed an application in court to injunct the planned protest, an application that has been objected to by lawyers of the Minority.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s Director of Legal Affairs, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, argues that only the Attorney General can institute the instant action per Article 88(5) of the 1992 Constitution and the State Proceedings Act.
