Member of parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has described as untenable, reasons cited by the Ghana Police Service for rejecting the routes proposed by the minority, in its intended protest against the Bank of Ghana’s Governor, Dr Ernest Addison.

According to him, in the party’s meeting with the Police yesterday, the latter proposed an alternative route, urging the party to commence the protest at Obra Spot, march along the highway from Circle to Accra Central, through Cedi House, ministries and culminate the protest march at the Independence Square. However, he stated that the Police’s reason for providing an alternative route was because it regarded the Central Bank as a security zone – which protestors cannot be allowed entry.

Additionally, Mr Ayariga stated that the Police’s justification for denying the party access to using the Makola market and Rawlings Park route, on grounds of protestors disrupting commercial activities, is also unacceptable.

“We pointed out to them that the arguments were not tenable because Cedi House which they wanted us to march and pass by is a Central Bank’s head office building annex. So, if we can go to the Central Bank’s office building annex, nothing stops us from going to the main building itself.
“Secondly, the areas that they are mentioning, are areas that in the past, we have demonstrated and passed through, and nothing has happened. We have demonstrated and passed through the Central Bank, and nothing happened, and I personally participated in most of them. So, we didn’t see why in the past we could do it and today, they will tell us that we cannot demonstrate across those routes to the Central Bank.”
Mahama Ayariga

NDC adamant in protesting on proposed routes

Moreover, Mr Ayariga stated that the group rejected the proposal of the Police at the meeting. However, he noted that the party received a letter from the security service “totally dismissing from keeping their own original proposal and simply saying that we should start our protest march from the frontage of parliament House and then march at Independence Square and stop there”. This, he emphasized, the party finds “very ridiculous and unacceptable”.

“… We are going to march along the same route that we have proposed, and they have a constitutional and legal responsibility to give us protection and protect all those who are along this route for us to march straight to the Bank and return. They have nothing to show that the Central Bank building is a security zone and there’s no law that shows it’s a security zone.
“In fact, the Office of the President – the Jubilee House which everybody can testify that that’s the seat of government, we have protested to the Office, and they have come out to receive petitions. So, I don’t see why the Central Bank building can be a [security zone]. In any case, the money is not at the Central Bank, they are just regulators…”
Mahama Ayariga

Furthermore, Mr Ayariga highlighted that for the Police to declare the Central Bank as a security zone, and for that matter, insisting the party cannot use its intended route, only means it is “indicting the government and they are indicting themselves”. Justifying his stance, he maintained that he doesn’t know what’s at stake for the party being denied marching to the Central Bank on those routes.

“We will march along those routes and there’s nothing that they can do to stop us. In any case, they don’t have the capacity by law to tell us that we cannot march along those routes. We will defend our rights to march along those routes…”
Mahama Ayariga

The Accra Regional Police Command in a statement on August 24, 2023, expressed discomfort with the routes selected by the Minority caucus in parliament for its protest to demand the resignation of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and his deputies.

According to the Police, the routes selected by the minority may endanger public safety and order.

The Police Service therefore asked the Minority to relocate the routes and the destination of picketing in the interest of public order, public safety and running of essential services.