Social media users have reacted angrily to comments made by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament, Carlos Ahenkorah, on the trend of exchange rates, particularly the cedi to dollar rate.
While Ahenkorah’s comments were related to the economy, User X was referring to an incident in 2021 when the Tema West MP disrupted the voting process for a new Speaker.
Speaking during a debate on UTV (May 27, 2024), Ahenkorah said: “On this issue of the dollar, I said that if the NPP had not been in power, by now the dollar would have been at GH¢50.00 to the dollar.
“This is because of the policies this government has put in place to keep the demand for dollars, especially gold against oil, this way. We would prefer this demand to be lower, but the 14 percent fall is much better than the situation under the NDC government.”
Comments posted under the UTV post on X ranged from regretting that despite his election crimes on open TV, Mr Ahenkorah continues to comment on topical issues in the country even though he has not been charged with said crimes;
Some slammed the media for instigating lawbreakers like the Tema West MP, while others lamented how and why people vote for someone like Ahenkorah in the first place.
X-user ALI SIDI (@BELLOSIDI) responded to the comment: “You are free to speak like this because this selfish government didn’t prosecute you while you broke COVID-19 measures with impunity, snatched ballots, ran with it in the public eye and in front of national TV, chewed it up and swallowed it. So you think you are free to speak anyway.”
“What do you expect from an MP who stole ballot boxes and chewed up ballots?” said Kay Parker (@su_pre_mo).
Virgin@25 (@Kobbystr_) agreed, saying, “These politicians are just evil.”
TWI News
As of May 27, 2024, according to the Bank of Ghana’s interbank exchange rate, the Ghanaian cedi was trading at a buying rate of 13.9480 and an selling rate of 13.9620 against the US dollar.
At currency exchanges in Accra, the dollar was bought at 14.80 and sold at 15.00.
The cedi was trading at a buying rate of 17.7712 and an selling rate of 17.7904 against the pound.
At foreign exchange offices in Accra, the pound was bought at 19.00 and sold at 19.70.
The euro is trading at a bid of 15.1360 and an offer of 15.1498.
The lawmaker stole, ran and chewed up ballot papers during the election for Speaker of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker was infected with COVID-19 but travelled from the isolation centre to the voter registration centre unsupervised.
Dear members of the Ghanaian media, please stop encouraging lawbreakers. https://t.co/AJctCr6ZrC
— Austin Wood (@obiMpenaAustine) May 27, 2024
If this country worked, this man would be in solitary confinement, not on TV. https://t.co/3JKaupyBqe
— Amir (@niilexis) May 27, 2024
If this man was in a critical jurisdiction where the system and laws work, he would be in jail for what happened in Congress.
As always, he enjoys the benefits of weak parliaments in Third World countries!
Such people should be blacklisted by the media! https://t.co/XY8cDcj5S1
— pkob (@papakwadjo) May 27, 2024
We saw this guy grab a ballot and chew on it like a hungry goat.
Should we respect everything that comes out of his mouth?
Let’s be serious in this country https://t.co/hyJBpPnTHd
— Ugo C. Chege (@enyonvm) May 27, 2024
I cannot take seriously someone who tried to cheat in an open parliamentary election by biting a ballot and running away from his fellow MPs. Certified loser speaker!!!! https://t.co/wYgeUvK9Si
— Mirpuri (@InterBoyTM) May 27, 2024
Sara