President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, leading the popular ‘Ku me prɛkó’ demonstration among others as a Member of Parliament, per Dr. Ernest Addison’s logic, is a hooligan, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has averred.
The North Tongu Member of Parliament is surprised governor Addison accepted president Akufo-Addo’s appointment after having a trademark for leading massive protests in the Fourth Republic.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, whilst contributing on TV3’s the KeyPoints Saturday, October 7, 2023, said governor Addison’s posture about the demonstration depicts arrogance of power and must stop.
“…Meanwhile the person who appointed you, whom you accepted his appointment, what was he known for as a member of Parliament? Was he not leader of many demonstrations? So you are logically telling us that President Akufo-Addo is a hooligan and you are the appointee of a hooligan, what does that make you? So see, the arrogance of power must stop, people must show us with respect,” the legislator stated.
He spoke on the right to demonstrate which is in the constitution, making it legal for people to channel their grievances.
“The right to demonstrate is a constitutional right, it’s guaranteed. I can decide to demonstrate or I want to sign signatures or I want to picket or I want to do a sit down strike. These are all democratic tools –public manifestations that I am entitled to. It is not for anybody to look at us, thousands of demonstrators, –you even forget about the NDC MPs and say you hate us because you don’t belong to our party, –the thousands who showed up for this demonstration who are victims of your abysmal performance, why are you insulting them, why are you calling them hooligans? I mean how dare you?” he fumed.
The Minority in Parliament protested the performance of the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, demanding his resignation with his two deputies.
On October 3, 2023, the Minority was joined by the Arise Ghana Group, the NDC and other groups with some Ghanaians at the precincts of the BoG from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah interchange to present a petition to the governor.
But the governor whom the demonstrators pledged to present their petition to, was out of sight.
But the Governor delegated Wing Commander (rtd) Kwame Asare Boateng, the Head of Security at the Bank of Ghana, to receive the petition on his behalf.
Dr Addison and his two deputies – Dr Maxwell Opoku-Afari and Elsie Addo Awadzi – were said to be in a meeting with officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We were informed that you were coming to present a petition to the Governor but the three governors are currently meeting the IMF and there is nobody there,” WC (rtd) Asare Boateng told leaders of the protest.
“So, the Governor has asked that I meet you and take the petition,” he noted.
This did not go down well with Minority who pledged to return to the streets in the near future to march again for the governors resignation.
The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, felt “disrespected” by the gesture.
“First, let me say that I feel very disrespected as the leader of the opposition in Parliament for a simple reason that we demanded to present a petition to the Governor of the central bank of the Republic of Ghana otherwise known as the Bank of Ghana.
“The Governor has two deputies namely Deputy 1 and Deputy 2.
“Unfortunately, he has decided to disrespect us and the two deputies have also decided to disrespect us,” he lamented.
He later served notice they will come back and will not relent in demanding the resignation of the three.
“We will come back again,” he said.
He later added: “Until we see him, we are not stopping. This is just the beginning.”
READ ALSO: #OccupyBoG protest: Minority promises to respond to Addison as ‘hooligans do’
