The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a fiery response to Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, after he dismissed their OccupyBoG demonstration as the work of “hooligans.”
The protest, orchestrated by the Minority Caucus and supported by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), unfolded on Tuesday, October 3, as a vehement denouncement of the country’s economic crisis.
Accusing Dr. Addison of mismanagement and incompetence, the protesters passionately demanded his resignation.
However, the Governor, unfazed by the demonstration, labelled the protestors as “hooligans” and declared neither he nor his deputies would be stepping down. In an interview with the international business website, Central Banking, Dr. Addison deemed the NDC’s protest “completely unnecessary.”
“The Minority in parliament have many channels to channel their grievances in civilized societies, not through demonstrations in the streets as hooligans,” he asserted, referencing the #OccupyBoGProtest.
Unimpressed by this characterization, Mahama Ayariga, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, took to the airwaves on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, October 5, to condemn Dr. Addison’s response.
Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, clearly not amused by the governor’s choice of words, expressed his disbelief on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, October 5, saying, “For one, I could not have imagined that a central bank governor would be so frustrated as to respond that way. To call your members of parliament ‘Hooligans’…How can you describe people who have conducted themselves this way as ‘Hooligans,’ and you are the governor of the Central Bank?” Ayariga questioned.
He went on to narrate the meticulous planning and execution of the protest, led by none other than the minority leader and the national chairman of the NDC, Mr. Asiedu Nketia. Ayariga painted a picture of a peaceful, well-organized protest, emphasizing that they adhered to all the rules set by the police, stopping exactly where they were told to.
However, Ayariga disappointed by Dr Addison’s response remarked, “But I can understand where the arrogance of power has sent some people. In the future, when it becomes difficult to manage our people because they have been branded ‘Hooligans’ and they want to show what ‘Hooliganism’ means, he will come and answer,” declared Ayariga with a touch of defiance during the interview with host Bernard Avle.
Ayariga also shed light on the communication breakdown between him and the governor. In a letter, he sought an explanation for the significant cost escalation in the Bank of Ghana project, but instead of a detailed response, he received a vague reply citing national security considerations. “So, you’re asking us to use alternative ways, and you are refusing to respond to those alternative ways. And then when we decide to protest, you call us ‘Hooligans,’” Ayariga quipped.
The Bawku Central MP further pledged that the minority group would convene with NDC leadership to strategize their next move, vowing to hold the Governor accountable.
“I’m just waiting for our colleagues, for us to have a meeting. We had partners and allies who joined us. So, we’re going to have a meeting. We are going to give him our response.”
However, he made it clear that they wouldn’t conform to the methods preferred by Dr. Addison, who seemed unresponsive to their attempts at communication.
