The Minority in Parliament has expressed disgust at the Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service for resorting to the courts to stop the planned protest on Tuesday, September 5.
Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah says the caucus is disappointed the police decided to secure an injunction against the protest instead of engaging further on the areas of disagreements.
“We must say that we are very disappointed with this development, which is clearly an attempt to scuttle the protest which is intended to hold the the Governor of the Bank of Ghana and his two deputies accountable for the mismanagement of the bank which has resulted in an unprecedented and colossal loss of GH¢60.8 billion, an amount which has had serious consequences on the economy and pushed close to one million Ghanaians into poverty,” the Ellembelle MP told journalists on Wednesday, August 30.
The Minority was served with the High Court injunction earlier in the day for an appearance in court on Monday, September 4.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah stressed “nothing will stop this process”, expressing confidence that the court will give the lawmakers the green light to march.
Their leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, had replied a letter from the Command, communicating the decision by the caucus not to follow the routes suggested by the police.
“I write to reject your proposed route for the OccupyBoG demonstration planned for 5th September 2023,” the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Member of Parliament (MP) wrote.
“The proposal in your 22nd August 2023 letter was an option discussed with us when my delegation met with you.”
The police, consequently, filed for an injunction to agree on the routes.
For Minority Chief Whip Governs Kwame Agbodza, this is a stab in the back by the police.
“It is actually a breach of trust and the police are attempting to change the routes,” he said.
“We will find out when we get to court as to whether they are attempting to injunct the whole process or attempting to change the routes but we want to assure the people that come what may, we know that they are angry that despite the fact that hospital projects, road projects, school projects, water projects are suspended, their Governor of the Bank of Ghana is spending $250 million on building a 6,000-person office.
“I don’t think any Ghanaian wants to see that, so this protest is legitimate and we are going to go ahead and do this demonstration.”
