Why Parliament Met The Bank of Ghana Governor Behind Closed Doors | Discuss Ghana

In a move to clear up questions about parliamentary secrecy, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has defended the decision to have the Governor of the Bank of Ghana brief MPs without any journalists in the room. Responding to concerns about transparency, Ayariga explained that hosting the central bank chief in a private session is not a cover-up, but rather a standard, legally backed procedure designed to protect sensitive state discussions.

The legal defense for a private briefing

According to Ayariga, the private meeting was conducted entirely by the book:

Standing Order 266: Ayariga specifically cited Standing Order 266 of Parliament’s rulebook. He explained that under these regulations, heads of independent constitutional bodies are permitted to address the "Committee of the Whole" (a meeting of all MPs) in a closed-door session.

Protecting Sensitive Info: The Majority Leader argued that when dealing with critical national financial issues or sensitive central bank updates, a private room allows MPs to ask tough, frank questions and receive detailed answers without the risk of creating unnecessary panic in the public or financial markets.

A Standard Practice: He reminded critics that this is a long-standing tradition in Ghana's Parliament, used regularly for independent heads who need to brief lawmakers directly without the pressure of live media coverage.