Joyce Bawah Mogtari, an aide to former president John Dramani Mahama has lamented the status of the Ghana cedi, weeks after it was classed the worst performing currency against the US dollar by Bloomberg.
She holds that talking about that status was equivalent to calling out those whose economic mismanagement had plunged the cedi into a state of weakness against the dollar.
She shared her views via a Twitter post which read in part: “The Ghanian Cedi is now the worst performing currency worldwide…the Cedi is not a human being so how do we talk down to the Cedi.. we are talking down and up to the leaders whose mismanagement of the economy has led to the downfall of the Cedi! Thank you.”
The issues about talking down the cedi replies a recent admonition by New Patriotic Party, NPP, member, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, about how the media’s coverage of the currency could lead to speculation and further worsening the status of the cedi.
Gabby holds that whenever journalists report negatively on the cedi, they become accessories to fueling speculation about the currency and thus become complicit in its depreciation.
He wrote in a Facebook post of October 20 thus: “Journalists can report and influence. But where the default mode is to influence negatively, such media houses run the risk of becoming partners in speculation.
“It is not the job of journalists and analysts to fix the cedi; but fixing it is not helped if they make it more their job to fuel speculations.
“The cedi may be worth 60% less now than what it was to the US dollar last year. But it is not worthless! My sympathies go to the many, many businesses and consumers out there who simply do not know to where to turn,” the post added.
Bawah Mogtari, in another tweet acknowledged that President Akufo-Addo will be addressing the nation on the economy, whiles expressing the hope that Vice President Bawumia will also be invited to answer some pressing questions.
“Hopefully after the President Akufo Addo’s presentation, he will invite his Vice President Bawumia to respond as succinctly and as loquaciously as he did in 2016 to the 170 questions he set for our late VP Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur! Thank you,” her tweet read.
Hopefully after the President Akufo Addo’s presentation,he will invite his Vice President @MBawumia to respond as succinctly and as loquaciously as he did in 2016 to the 170 questions he set for our late VP Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur! Thank you 🙏🏽
— Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) October 24, 2022