The Governor of the Bank of Ghana has come under criticism from the Minority in Parliament and some sections of Ghanaians for what they term as mismanagement of the finances of the central bank.
The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, who has joined in the protest calling for the sacking of the BoG Governor and his two deputies have described the Governor as a coward and colossal failure.
In an interview with Joy News monitored by GhanaWeb Business, the legislator explained that Dr Ernest Addison has only appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament only 3 times in 7 years.
He said Dr Addison keeps running from his failings as a BoG Governor anytime PAC wants to hold him accountable for some dealings.
Sam Nartey George indicated that the Governor, in the past 7 years assigned one of his deputies, Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari to appear before the committee whenever he was summoned.
"The Governor is a coward. Dr Addison is a coward and this is not going to be the first time. I have served on the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament for 7 years and at least, every year we invite him twice to appear because of the Auditor-General's report and I can say on Authority that Dr Addison himself has appeared before the Public Accounts Committee maybe 2 or 3 times in 7 years. He is a coward," he said in the interview monitored by GhanaWeb Business.
The Ningo-Prampram MP added that "He runs away from his own work, from his own failings. Most times he sends his deputy Maxwell and I won't be surprised that today, it will be Maxwell who will have the balls to come out. Addison himself won't come out. I am putting it to you that you are a coward and you have failed. You are a colossal failure because of where we sit as a country...we have 196 central banks for 196 countries across the world. In 2022, the central bank of Ghana came last, we had the worst performing currency in the world..."
"What annoys us the most is that they increased their allowances by 100% in 2022 and paid themselves 8.7 million as allowances for coming last. This is the failing of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana," Sam George bemoaned.
Scores of protesters have gathered at Obra Spot in Accra for the #OccupyBoG demonstration, organized by the Minority in Parliament, pressure group Arise Ghana, and other groups to demand the resignation of the Bank of Ghana Governor and his deputies.
The protesters are accusing the Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, of mismanaging the central bank and plunging it into bankruptcy.
They also accuse him of overseeing reckless expenditure, including the construction of the new $250 million Bank of Ghana headquarters.
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Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam Nartey George