Former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini says the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison will not resign from his post despite the National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led #OccupyBoG demonstration to demand his resignation.
He also expressed his belief that President Nana Akufo-Addo will not terminate Dr Addison’s appointment at the BoG, citing a lack of historical precedent for such actions.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, Mr. Fuseini stated that even if President Akufo-Addo were to contemplate Dr. Addison’s removal, a well-defined procedure must be followed to request his resignation.
He emphasised that the President does not possess the unilateral authority to abruptly dismiss the BoG governor, stating that such an action would constitute a grave violation of the Bank of Ghana’s establishment.
“If he does that, it would be an egregious violation or breach of the status of establishing the Bank of Ghana. The president could not have sacked the Chairman of the Electoral Commission. He didn’t take a direct route in sacking Charlotte Osei but in the end, she had to go,” he said.
Mr. Fuseini further underscored that President Akufo-Addo has received numerous petitions from concerned Ghanaians, highlighting that “the violation of the Constitution that demands the declaration of assets within a certain period of time cannot be excusable and those public officers who have done that should go.”
He maintained that while the President may not personally initiate Dr. Addison’s removal, he would require individuals who prioritise the nation’s service, patriotism, and adherence to the law over partisanship to navigate any necessary rule-bending within the legal framework.
“When the law says you can’t do certain things and you want to do them, what you must do is to take steps to amend the law”.
Commenting on Dr. Addison’s response to the #OccupyBoG demonstration led by the NDC to demand his resignation, Mr. Fuseini clarified that the Constitution guarantees the right to demonstrate.
During the week, Dr. Addison had stated that he would not resign in response to the demands of the Minority NDC caucus and deemed the demonstration “completely unnecessary.”
He also asserted that neither he nor his deputies would leave their positions.
To this end, the former Lands and Natural Resources Minister argued that characterising the #OccupyBoG demonstration as “lawless” was unwarranted.
He defended the importance of demonstrations in advancing democracy and pointed out that even in more established democracies, people engage in civil protests.
He questioned Dr. Addison’s stance, emphasising that the Constitution guarantees the right to demonstrate, and such actions are essential in fostering a vibrant democracy.
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