A highly coordinated, malicious disinformation campaign has officially hit Ghana’s financial sector, and it demands an aggressive, uncompromised response. In a desperate bid for clicks and political mileage, sensationalist media platforms have flooded the public domain with absolute fabrications claiming the Bank of Ghana (BoG) is putting its newly commissioned headquarters up for sale. Let us be clear: spreading unverified, weaponised rumors about our apex financial fortress is not harmless journalism—it is economic sabotage. At a time when Ghana is steadily stabilizing its post-IMF economy, attacking the central bank’s institutional integrity is playing with national fire. This article aggressively tears down these fabricated narratives, exposes the actors behind the chaos, and demands immediate punitive legal action against the purveyors of this fake news.
- THE FACT: THE CENTRAL BANK IS NOT FOR SALE
- Absolute Denial: The Bank of Ghana has completely obliterated the media lies regarding a “sale and leaseback” scheme (a financial arrangement where an owner sells an asset and rents it back from the buyer).
- Official Statement: In a blistering press release, management stated it is “not considering, discussing, or planning the sale of its new headquarters.”
- The “Sources” Lie: The central bank explicitly condemned publications relying on ghost “inside sources,” branding the reports as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and cause panic.
- THE SMOKING GUN: WHO MANUFACTURED THIS LIE?
- The Culprit: The toxic rumor was birthed on June 1, 2026, via an online publication by MyJoyOnline.
- The Headline: The outlet published a highly speculative piece titled “Bank of Ghana considering sale of new $260m headquarters – sources”.
- Political Exploitation: This false narrative was instantly weaponized by opposition political actors who have long used the $261.8 million facility as a political punching bag to fuel public anger over IMF austerity measures (government spending cuts implemented during economic crises).
- THE ASSET: WHAT GHANAIANS ACTUALLY BUILT
- The Skyline King: Standing at 100 meters tall with 22 stories, The Bank Square is officially Ghana’s tallest and most advanced building.
- The Blueprint: Designed by the world-famous Sir David Adjaye and constructed by Goldkey Properties, the massive 150,000-square-meter hub houses over 2,500 essential personnel.
- The Green Fortress: Far from a luxury waste, it features ultra-fortified underground vaults, a 1,500-seat rooftop auditorium, and zero-carbon solar infrastructure to cut long-term state electricity costs.
A FIRE WARNING TO THE PEDDLERS OF DECEIT
To MyJoyOnline and the shadow political actors pulling the strings behind this report: Your reckless era of unaccountable journalism ends today.
Falsely printing that a nation’s central bank is financially desperate enough to sell its own headquarters is a direct threat to the stability of the Ghanaian Cedi and sovereign market confidence (the international community’s trust in a country’s financial health). You are hereby put on notice: the Ghanaian public will no longer tolerate the weaponization of economic anxieties through fabricated headlines. Freedom of the press is not a license to trigger economic panic, and those who trade national stability for media traffic must be prepared to face the full, unyielding weight of the law.
URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
- Invoke Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29): The Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) must immediately prosecute the authors under this specific statute, which states that “any person who publishes or reproduces any statement, rumour or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumour or report is false, is guilty of a misdemeanour.”
- Pursue Defamation under Common Law Tort: The Bank of Ghana must instantly file civil lawsuits for corporate defamation. Under Ghanaian law, a statement is defamatory if it tends to lower an entity in the estimation of right-thinking members of society. Falsely claiming a central bank is insolvent (unable to pay its debts) and selling its core assets directly damages its corporate reputation and financial credibility.
- Enforce Heavy National Media Commission (NMC) Sanctions: The NMC must move beyond toothless condemnations and issue severe, punitive regulatory sanctions against media houses that manufacture anonymous sources to undermine state institutions.
- Publish Full Parliamentary Audit Reports: Parliament must immediately lay the final, itemized technical expenses of the $261.8 million project before the public to strip politicians of the secrecy they use to manufacture fake news.
SPECIAL APPEAL: FORMAL PETITION TO THE NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION
In the spirit of active citizenship and institutional defense, we append below a formal template for a petition to be filed with the National Media Commission (NMC). This serves as an open template for civil society organizations, legal minds, and patriotic citizens to demand immediate, official regulatory intervention.
THE CHAIRMAN
National Media Commission (NMC)
6th Floor, Republic House, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue
P.O. Box Public Relations, Accra, Ghana
COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 167 OF THE 1992 CONSTITUTION AND THE NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION ACT, 1993 (ACT 449)
COMPLAINANT: Concerned Citizens for Financial Stability & Responsible Journalism
RESPONDENT: The Management and Editorial Board, MyJoyOnline (Multimedia Group Limited)
SUBJECT: PETITION AGAINST MYJOYONLINE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF UNVERIFIED, FABRICATED FINANCIAL REPORTS CAPABLE OF CAUSING NATIONAL ECONOMIC ALARM
- PURPOSE: This petition is formally brought before the Commission to invoke your disciplinary and regulatory powers to investigate a highly dangerous, false publication by the Respondent dated June 1, 2026, titled “Bank of Ghana considering sale of new $260m headquarters – sources”.
- THE INFRACTION: The Respondent published factual assertions claiming the apex bank was experiencing existential financial strain forcing a “sale and leaseback” of its primary asset. This assertion relies entirely on phantom “inside sources” and completely violates Chapter 1, Section 1 of the GJA Code of Ethics, which mandates that journalists report only the truth and facts.
- IMPACT ON NATIONAL INTEREST: Falsely broadcasting that a central bank is liquidated to the point of selling its own headquarters directly triggers market volatility, undermines the stability of the Ghanaian Cedi, and damages sovereign credit ratings on the international stage. Media freedom does not shield an outlet from publishing economic sabotage.
- RELIEFS SOUGHT: The Complainant respectfully prays that the Commission takes immediate action to:
- Order an Immediate Retraction: Direct the Respondent to pull down the offensive article and issue an unqualified, prominent front-page apology to the Bank of Ghana and the Ghanaian public.
- Enforce a Forensic Journalistic Audit: Demand that the Respondent demonstrate to the Commission’s disciplinary committee that it adhered to basic fact-checking procedures prior to publication.
- Apply Regulatory Sanctions: Issue a severe reprimand and financial penalty against the Respondent for reckless professional misconduct in accordance with Act 449.
DATED THIS 3RD DAY OF JUNE, 2026
Concerned Citizens for Financial Stability & Responsible Journalism
For: Concerned Citizens of Ghana
CONCLUSION
The Bank Square is a proud, $261.8 million state asset belonging to the sovereign people of Ghana—it is not a political football to be kicked around by reckless media houses. While public scrutiny over state expenditure is healthy and necessary, the deliberate fabrication of an institutional fire sale crosses the line into treasonous economic disruption. We must collectively reject journalism that seeks to burn down our financial institutions for political convenience. It is time for the state to stop treating fake news with kid gloves; the culprits must be dragged to court, prosecuted aggressively, and made a public example of to protect the economic security of every Ghanaian citizen.
✍️By A Concerned Senior Citizen
Retired Senior Citizen
For and on behalf of all Senior Citizens of the Republic of Ghana 🇬🇭
Teshie-Nungua
[email protected]
