Minority to meet police today over “Addison Must Go” protest

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The Accra Regional Police Command has invited the leadership of the Minority caucus in Parliament for a meeting today, Wednesday, August 23, 2023.

The meeting has to do with the minority’s intended protest against the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and his two deputies.

The Greater Accra Regional Police Command in a letter to the Minority said the meeting was for the parties to deliberate on modalities for the intended protest.

Leadership of AriseGhana have also assured to partake in the crunch meeting.

The Bank of Ghana is currently under fire following supposed self-inflicted losses it incurred in the 2022 fiscal year and its decision to build a new head office at the cost of $250 million.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga says the Minority will continue its probe into the $250 million allocated for the construction of a new headquarters for the Bank of Ghana.

The MP argues that the explanation given by the governor, Dr Ernest Addison, only aggravates the situation and calls for further investigation.

Dr Addison on Monday dismissed claims that the Central Bank breached procurement laws in pursuit of the construction of the edifice.

In an interview with Citi News, however, the Bawku Central MP insisted that the governor must resign and emphasized that the Minority will do whatever it takes to drive out the governor of the Central Bank and his deputies.

“The first thing is the governor and his deputies must resign because we don’t have confidence in them, and they are a waste of public resources, and we are law-abiding citizens, so we will go and meet the police command and discuss the entire programme for the protest that we are organizing.”

In a related story, the Bank of Ghana says its new multi-purpose building at Ridge in Accra will be completed in 2024.

According to a document issued by the BOG, the progress of work on the edifice currently stands at 41 percent.

The edifice is a 13 storey facility which has been mired in controversy since news broke about its construction.

Some civil society groups have kicked against the construction of the new BOG office, citing hardships in the country.

Minority MPs have also voiced their revulsion to the construction of the edifice, asking the Governor and his two deputies to bow out.

The BoG document disclosed that internal blockwork is ongoing at various levels in both Tower and Urban blocks with mechanical, electrical and plumbing fixes also at various levels.