Ghanaians protest peacefully against Bank of Ghana but fail to present petition

The demonstration, dubbed 'Occupy BOG Demo', followed the Bank of Ghana’s full-year 2022 audited financial statements released on July 28, 2023, which reported a total loss of GHS60 billion. Aside from the loss, the BOG is currently building a new head office which is estimated to cost $250 million amid other related controversies. Ghanaians and many analysts have kicked against the building and called for its suspension but the central bank wouldn’t budge.

The massive protest saw Ghanaians of diverse backgrounds and ages, including the elderly, wearing mostly red and black while holding placards bearing various inscriptions that depict the frustrations of the citizenry.

The protesters converged on the popular Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the morning where they danced vigorously to various purposely-composed music before the organisers addressed the crowd, paving the way for the main protest.

The protesters marched under the scorching sun from Circle through Adabraka, Ridge roundabout, Trade Fair all the way to the John Evans Atta Mills Highway before proceeding to the CHRAJ and the Court complex where they met a heavy impenetrable police barricade with many police officers and their vans placed behind them.

The officers prevented the protesters from making their way to the premises of the Bank of Ghana - their main destination for the demonstration, sparking fierce anger among the protesters. Organisers of the demonstration later reached a compromise with the police to delegate some of them to meet with Dr. Ernest Addison and present a petition to him.

After close to an hour of jostling by media men to be allowed to do their job and by some protesters to follow their leaders, in an intensely packed crowd, the organisers returned without presenting the petition to the Bank of Ghana governor.

According to them, they were met by a man who claimed to be a watchman at the Bank of Ghana and told them that the governor was indisposed and was not at post at the time of their arrival.

Organisers, including the chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, Bernard Mornah of the PNC, Minority Leader, Dr Kaisel Ato Forson and North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa among many others addressed the protesters and indicated that another date would be scheduled for a follow-up demonstration to submit their petition to Dr Addison.

They warned that if they don’t hear of the resignation of the BOG governor and his deputies, who they say are incompetent, in the next few days, the next demonstration would be more aggressive and not even the police would be able to restrain the protesters.

Overall, the protest was peaceful, no skirmishes were recorded, and both the organisers of the protest and the police expressed gratitude to each other for their contributions to the success of the event.