General News of Thursday, 5 October 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

BoG doesn’t plant maize or plantain to determine food inflation - Akosua Manu

Akosua Manu, Deputy Chief Executive of the National Youth Authority Akosua Manu, Deputy Chief Executive of the National Youth Authority

Akosua Manu, the Deputy Chief Executive of the National Youth Authority, has expressed her view that the recent #OccupyBoG protest was misdirected.

She emphasized that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) does not engage in food crop cultivation for food inflation estimation.

Speaking on TV3's New Day, Akosua Manu acknowledged the importance of holding institutions accountable but stated that such actions must fall within the institution's purview.

"Some of the things that the minority talked about, if they are talking about factors that affect inflation, including food, it is not BoG that plants maize or plantain to determine that. It doesn't come to them. Secondly, if you want to have a conversation about him resigning, he doesn't appoint himself; take it to the right authority for that to happen, so it becomes a question of gimmicks and games," she stated.

Manu also noted that it was appropriate for the government to approach the BoG for support, as it falls within the government's responsibility.

She argued that the Bank of Ghana might even provide loans to the government, such as an overdraft, in a manner it deems fit.

However, Manu criticized Dr. Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, for labeling demonstrators as "hooligans."

She disagreed with his choice of words, stating, "In the end, I disagree with the description of the protesters as hooligans; he performed poorly on that front. No one can make me believe that they were the right words to use."

The Minority group in Parliament, comprising members from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), CPP, PNC, and other civil society organizations, organized the Occupy Bank of Ghana (BoG) protest on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

They demanded the resignation of the BoG Governor and his two deputies. Thousands of participants joined the protest as they marched through the principal streets of Accra.

The group's demands include the resignation of the Central Bank's governor and his deputies due to the GH¢60 billion loss the bank recorded in the 2022 fiscal year and the controversial new head office project of the central bank, estimated to cost over $250 million USD.

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