The Minority in Parliament has met the leadership of the Ghana Police Service for its planned protest against the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
The lawmakers from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) reached an agreement with the police for the September 5 demonstration.
Following the closed-door meeting with the police at the Greater Accra Regional Police Headquarters, Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah told journalists, that all necessary arrangements have been made for the forthcoming demonstration against the management of the Bank of Ghana.
The protest is set to take place at the Bank of Ghana Head Office, with the Minority aiming to voice their concerns about what they describe as the mismanagement of financial resources and the resulting economic implications.
Relatedly, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison has refuted allegations that the central bank breached procurements laws on its new $250 million headquarters.
Dr. Addison provided clarification on the timeline and rationale behind the decision to initiate the construction of the new head office. He revealed that the decision to proceed with the construction was made in 2019, driven by the Bank’s profits at that time.
While acknowledging the concerns voiced by the MP, Dr. Addison asserted that all actions taken were within the bounds of the law and aligned with due procedures.
“The Bank of Ghana as far back as the 1990s began the search for suitable and secured land for a new Head office. In 2012, the Bank was allocated an unnumbered 5.19-acre land at Accra Central by the Lands Commission which also had issues. The Bank did not have access to the land since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration refused to give the Bank vacant possession on the grounds that they had never agreed to give up ownership of the land. The Bank continued to search for suitable land for its Head Office throughout the period from 2013 to 2016. More recently in 2018, the Bank approached the SIC to acquire its vacant land at Ridge near the Ridge Hospital.
NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged that the cost of the office rose “from an initial US$81.8 million to US$121 million & currently threatening to exceed US$250 million”.
He also alleged that a construction firm, selected through a single-source Public Procurement Authority (PPA) process for the project, is not even a registered entity within the country.
Source:
EVANS ANNANG