The Ghana Police Service has filed a court case urging the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC to go by the approved routes for their scheduled rally on 5th September, 2023.
This follows the Minority in Parliament’s decision to reject the police’s proposed route for its #OccupyBoG protest march to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Headquarters.
The Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, in a letter addressed to Dr Sayibu Pabi Gariba, Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, “I write to reject your proposed route for the #OccupyBoG demonstration planned for 5th September 2023. The proposal in your 23rd August 2023 letter was not an option discussed with us when my delegation met with you’’.
The demonstration by the minority is intended to remove the Bank of Ghana’s governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, and his deputies from office over alleged mismanagement which has led to the reported GH¢60.8 billion loss and a GH¢55 billion negative equity in its 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statement.
Ato Forson in a statement after the Police gave them a route to embark on their demonstration questioned why the BoG Headquarters had been designated by the police as a security zone and the Cedi House.
The Minority Leader further said they had successfully and peacefully marched through the routes that the police had rejected before, with the aid of the police, saying the Service did not have sufficient and compelling grounds to refuse to police the protest march on those routes.
He added that the constitution guaranteed a right to protest and it was their constitutional responsibility to ensure that the Minority did so along the routes they had chosen peacefully and securely, and the Police must live up to their basic responsibilities.
However, the Police in a statement noted that after they had conducted a security assessment, the selected routes by the minority may pose a threat to public safety.
The statement added that, despite having provided an alternate route for the demonstration, no agreement was achieved, and hence had to go to court for a determination of the matter.
Meanwhile, the Police have assured the general public that they remain committed to providing security for individuals and groups who exercise their constitutional right to protest.
-BY Daniel Bampoe