Occupy BoG Demo: We Will Not Leave Until BoG Governor Receives Our Petition- Minority Leader
The minority leader in parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson has stated that until the minority personally presents the petition for the resignation of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Ernest Addison to the Governor himself they will not leave the premises of the BoG.
According to the minority leader, they will work together with the police when they get to the security zones.
” I together with the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) minority in parliament must be allowed to walk to the central bank to present a petition that should be received by the governor himself, he must be the one to receive our petition and (we) won’t just hand-over to him, we will read it to his hearing and we demand his exit today,” he said.
He added that if Dr Addison fails to resign today, there will be a series of actions against him.
Mr Ato Forson further said if the governor fails to step out to receive their petition, they will not leave the premises of the BoG.
“We will not leave there until he (Dr. Ernest Addison) receives the petition, we will stay there (at the BoG) till thy kingdom come, he must be the one to receive the petition,” he added.
Also, Mr. Ato Forson explained that the reason they cannot give the petition to any other person is that, they are not protesting against BoG staff but against the conduct of the governor hence, he must be there to receive the petition.
The Minority leader also stated that they would read out the content of the petition to the Governor to avoid the excuse of “he failed to read it” and give him the justification that it is in his own interest and the interest of the people of Ghana to resign as Governor of the BoG.
The Ghana Police Service stated that “the demonstrators will converge on the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and proceed to Adabraka-Ridge Roundabout-National Theatre Traffic Light-High Court Complex Traffic Light-Atta Mills Highway and make a U-Turn at the National Lotteries and terminate at the Independence Square”.
“The road from the Independence Square in front of the National Lotteries towards the Old Parliament Traffic Light will be blocked temporarily to vehicular traffic during the course of the demonstration”.
“The blocked roads will be diverted through the Starlet Traffic Light through the Ministries Traffic Light to pass in front of the Office of the Department of Urban Roads(DUR), through National Lotteries, to link up with the AMA Office Road to EOCO and tak detour back to the John Atta Mills Highway at the old Parliament Traffic Light intersection”.
Demonstrators were also admonished to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner before, during, and after the process.
The organizers of the demonstration, led by Minority MPs and other groups, are calling for the resignation of the Bank of Ghana chiefs as the apex bank has suffered a loss of GH¢60.8 billion in the last financial year.
The protest, initially slated for September 12, 2023, was postponed to October 3, 2023, due to the failure of the police to mark out safe zones for the demonstration.