Ayariga drops unbelievable statement demanding cedi bouquet crackdown

Founder and leader of the All People's Congress (APC), Dr. Hassan Ayariga, has publicly challenged the Bank of Ghana to justify its recent crackdown on money bouquet makers.

His demand comes shortly after the central bank and police arrested seven individuals in Accra for using genuine Ghana cedi notes to craft decorative money bouquets and cakes.

Ayariga argued that citizens possess the constitutional right to give legitimately earned money as gifts during weddings, birthdays, and other milestone celebrations.

He stressed that the central bank is a regulatory body governed by national law and cannot act as a law unto itself without clear statutory backing.

"Ghanaians have the right to give their legitimately earned money as gifts," Ayariga stated during his address.

"Any arrest must have a clear legal foundation, follow due process, and respect the constitutional rights of citizens," he added.

Dr. Ayariga urged the regulator to publicly clarify its legal position and provide explicit guidelines differentiating acceptable gift packaging from unlawful currency abuse.

He emphasized that while protecting the national currency remains crucial, state authorities must equally safeguard the rights, freedoms, and legitimate businesses of ordinary citizens.

He called for reasonable enforcement and dignified treatment of suspects, insisting that regulatory measures should not penalize creative entrepreneurial ventures arbitrarily.

The central bank has yet to issue a formal response to Ayariga's legal challenge regarding the enforcement actions.