Oppong Nkrumah Slams In-Camera Sittings by BoG Governor

The Majority in Parliament has been accused of using an in-camera sitting involving the Bank of Ghana Governor as a strategy to control the public narrative around the Governor's responses. Ranking Member of Parliament's Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, made this accusation on Joy FM's Top Story.

According to Oppong Nkrumah, the Governor was prepared to provide factual answers to questions before the committee, but the decision to exclude the media was aimed at preventing Ghanaians from hearing those responses directly. "The point is that they are not comfortable with the truth that the Governor is coming to tell," he said. "They want to keep hiding so that they can come and spin the politics and the propaganda around it. And in so doing, they are gradually collapsing the democratic institutions of the state, turning out the news to suppress anybody who says anything they don’t like."

Oppong Nkrumah also dismissed claims by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga that the Governor had prepared a separate press statement to address the media after the closed-door engagement. He explained that the document being referred to was not a new statement but an existing Bank of Ghana publication on foreign exchange operations, which was attached to the Governor's response to a parliamentary question. "The document he is referring to is not a new press release by the Central Bank. It is the guidelines for market intermediation that the Governor released earlier and attached to his answer," he said.

The decision to hold committee proceedings involving the Governor of the Bank of Ghana behind closed doors has sparked controversy. Parliament insists that the practice is consistent with the Standing Orders and long-established parliamentary convention. However, Oppong Nkrumah maintains that the Governor, as a professional, was ready to respond to questions and had no reason to avoid public scrutiny. "The Governor himself is not shy to answer these questions. He is a professional; he won’t come and lie, he won’t come and do politics and propaganda," he said.

The in-camera sitting has raised questions about the Majority's motives and the implications for Ghana's democratic institutions. Oppong Nkrumah's comments suggest that the Majority is attempting to manipulate public perception of the Governor's responses. The outcome of this controversy will have significant implications for the relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this will affect the public's trust in these institutions.

Source: JOY