No 'demo' will be allowed anywhere near BoG premises - Police to Minority

The Ghana Police Service has stated that no participants in the scheduled street protest against the Bank of Ghana (BoG) will be allowed anywhere near the premises of the regulator of the banking industry.

The protest being organised by the Minority in Parliament is dubbed #OccupyBOG is slated for Tuesday (October 3, 2023). 

Organisers of the protest, the Minority side in Parliament, says the street protest is against some inconsistencies in the national economy recorded in the current administration of the BoG.

Describing the BoG as a security zone, the police said they were prepared to ensure security, law and order for the planned street protest and insisted the route does not include the BoG premises or the street in front of the BoG.

Adhere to route 

“The name of the protest does not determine the rout of the protest. We have agreed on the routes and that is the routes that will be used,” said the Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Grace Ansah-Akrofi, during a media briefing on the preparedness of the police for the demonstration on Monday.

She reminded the demonstrators to adhere to the route, with the demonstration commencing at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange through Adabraka, Ridge Roundabout, National Theatre Traffic Light, High Court Complex Traffic Light and Atta Mills Highway.

From there, the protestors would then make a U-Turn at the National Lotteries and end the protest at the Independence Square.

The protestors have been further urged to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after in line with the Public Order Act of 1994 (ACT 491).

The organisers of the demonstration had indicated that about 5,000 people would take part in the demonstration.

“We have adequate number of police officers for the demonstration,” the Director of Police Public Affairs said, after she commended the organisers for cooperating with the police through the process.

Road blocks  

Mrs Ansah-Akrofi said as part security arrangements traffic arrangements had been put in place including a temporary blocking of the road from the Independence Square in front of the National Lotteries towards the Old Parliament Traffic Light during the course of the demonstration.

The blocked roads will be diverted through the Starlet Traffic Light through the Ministries Traffic Light to the front of the Office of the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), through National Lotteries.

Users of that route will then link the AMA office Road to the road in front of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to take a detour back to the John Evans Atta Mills Highway at the Old Parliament Traffic Light intersection.

In line with arrangements, Mrs Ansah-Akrofi said personnel of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) would be deployed at the various intersections to assist the motoring public.

Engagements 

Ahead of the demonstration, there has been series of engagements between the Ghana Police Service and organisers of the protest.