NDC Summons BoG Governor

Members of the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament have repeated their call for the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Paul Acquah, to appear before the House to explain modalities for the implementation of the redenomination of the cedi scheduled for next month.

They said even though they had raised the issue on other occasions, their call seemed to have gone unheeded, as the Majority Leader and Chairman of the Business Committee of the House always left it unattended to in the weekly Business Statement presented to Parliament.

The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Hon. Alfred Kwame Agbesi, who repeated the call on the floor of Parliament yesterday, said, “Apart from the dancing we see on TV, we don't know anything about the redenomination.”

“The dancing on TV” was an apparent reference to the redenomination television commercial in which three market women discussed the exercise and danced afterwards.
Agbesi, whose call was a repetition of Hon.Haruna Iddrisu's two weeks ago, said there was the urgent need for the Governor to brief the House on the matter before the implementation started next month.

According to Agbesi, pertinent questions, such as how much money was used to print the new currency and how much of the old was still in circulation, needed answers.

He explained that even if the other MPs did not need answers to those questions, he personally wanted them answered and would therefore appreciate it if the House could arrange for the Governor to appear before Parliament.

In response, some members on the Majority side shouted, “We will organize special classes for you if you don't understand it.”

This statement was repeated by the Majority Leader, Hon. Felix Owusu-Adjapong, who jocularly said special tuition would be held for Hon. Agbesi, so he would comprehend the redenomination.

The Leader of the Minority, Alban Bagbin, said he was surprised that the matter had still not been discussed, as the Majority Leader had assured him.

Hon.Owusu-Adjapong decided to consider the matter but advised that the Finance Committee of the House “be encouraged to do most of these things so that it will in turn inform the House about them.”

Before adjournment, the House deferred the debate on the private members' motion on the energy crisis and the counter motion to Tuesday, June 26, 2007.

Earlier, the Minister of Energy, Joseph Kofi Adda had appeared before the House to answer some questions pertaining to his ministry.

By Sylvanus Nana Kumi