A political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has criticized the “arrogant” attitude and response of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison, to protesters of the OccupyBoG movement.
In an open letter to the BoG Governor, Prof. Gyampo said, “Whether you resign or not, you would by all means, account one day, for your stewardship either in heaven or in hell or in prison or in your home.”
“One thing is certain to me and must be clear in the minds of all if we survive 2024, the conduct of governance, politics and the management of our economy wouldn’t be business as usual. Things would change to the glory of God, for the betterment of lives of Ghanaians, and to the shame of wicked and incompetent leadership.”
This follows Dr. Addison’s dismissal of calls by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Minority caucus in Parliament for him to resign. In an interview with the international business website, Central Banking, he said he is not stepping down, describing the protest by the NDC as “completely unnecessary.”
“The Minority in parliament have many channels to channel their grievances in civilised societies, not through demonstrations in the streets as hooligans,” Dr. Addison added in reference to the #OccupyBoGProtest.
Mr. Gyampo in the letter also said that the Governor spent about GH¢137 million on vehicle maintenance; collapsed over 400 banks and micro-finance companies; printed over GH¢700 trillion within 2 years; and depleted our foreign reserves.
“Yet you still want to determine how the tax payer reacts to your decision to choose excessive partisanship over competence?”
He said Dr. Addison’s attitude and response epitomized what his father referred to as impunity personified as the President and the Finance Minister had similarly received several calls for their resignation but had not responded arrogantly as the governor had.
“Please Governor, printing money does not make you owner of human life and human rights and respectfully, sir, you portray a certain high-level poverty, if all you have, is the money you have printed, which makes you arrogant in insulting taxpayers who are unhappy with your abysmal performance. This isn’t how Governors G.K Agamah, K. Dufuor, P. Acquah, and N. Ishahakku handled the BoG. These chaps were simply sober and competent,” he added.