Private Legal Practitioner, Lawyer Martin Kpebu has commented on the current impasse between the minority caucus in parliament and the Ghana Police Service.
In an interview on TV3’s Midday news on 24th August, 2023, he suggested that the Ghana Police Service considers the intended picketing of the Bank of Ghana by the Minority caucus as being of national interest.
“The Ghana Police Service should not see this attempt by the Minority caucus as a case between the Minority and the Bank of Ghana, but rather, Ghanaians speaking. Because, the Minority is speaking for the people of Ghana due to the hunger in the country.”
“Ghanaians are suffering, we currently have about 3million of our people living below the poverty line and Bank of Ghana is involved in such huge losses,” he bemoaned.
He continued that the Ghana Police Service should not impose their routes on the Minority caucus.
“The contention is currently about the routes of the demonstrators which is not really a big deal, but can be solved with both teams winning,” he stated.
According to Lawyer Kpebu, if both parties are not able to settle their differences, then they can head to court. He mentioned that currently, the police cannot just go before a judge without notifying the Minority.
“They should notify the Minority for them to also argue their case out. The Minority could be represented by their lawyers,” Mr. Kpebu said.
Meanwhile the police in a meeting with the Minority caucus on Wednesday assured them of their protection during the demonstration but asked that the route be changed.
The Minority in Parliament has chosen Tuesday, September 5 as the date to march to the head office of the Bank of Ghana in an escalated action to force the Governor and his two deputies to resign.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs gave Dr Ernest Yedu Addison and his two Deputy Governors – Dr Maxwell Opoku-Afari and Elsie Addo Awadzi – 21 days to resign after they posted a GH¢60.8 billion loss in 2022.
By Clara Boadi Konadu