Ghana: Economy Bankrupt - Frustrated Lawyers, Bankers and Others Take to the Streets
BY DANIEL NONOR AND ALFRED ADAMS, 2 JULY 2014
Ghana Chronicle
HUNDREDS OF largely middle class citizens in the country on Republic Day defied an early morning down pour to demonstrate against the increasing economic hardship in the country and the administrative failures of the John Mahama led Government, amid heavy police presence.
Police personnel in full riot gear were dispatched to man the demonstration, much to the surprise of the demonstrators themselves, who accused the police of intimidation. The demonstration, dubbed 'Occupy Flagstaff House' was organized by a non-partisan group calling itself Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance, which garnered massive support from a campaign launched on social media.
The conveners of the hugely successful demonstration had initially wanted to picket in front of the Flagstaff House, the new seat of government, as is done in most advanced countries, but the police turned down the request insisting that the area is a security zone. The police and the organizers eventually agreed on Efua Sutherland Park. The agreement was made public by Nana Akwasi Awuah, one of the conveners of the demonstration.
According to him, after convening at the Southerland Park, the demonstrators would march to the Flagstaff House for three of them to present a petition to the government. Despite this gentleman's agreement, the police cordoned off the street in front of the Park to prevent the demonstrators, who were mostly heads of corporate institutions, lawyers and other middle class people, from marching to the Flagstaff Staff House.
The demonstrators, however, beat the police with brain work, when they dispersed from the Efua Sutherland Park and under the guise of going home, emerged and converged at the TV3 and French Embassy end of the Flagstaff House. The police quickly moved in and this time struck a deal with the demonstrators to allow six of their leaders, plus a journalist from each of the press Houses present, to enter the Flagstaff House to present their petition to the government.
The leaders eventually presented their petition to Deputy Chief of Staff, Madam Valarie Sawyer, who thanked them for drawing the government's attention to some of the issues confronting the country, but pleaded with the demonstrators to support the government in finding solutions to the problems.
Earlier the protesters stated through the various placards that the people surrounding the President have failed to brief him on the true state of affairs. 'The king is naked," one of the placards read. IMANI boss, Frankline Cudjoe, who also took part in the demonstration, told The Chronicle that the numbers that took part in the demonstration to express their anger at the mismanagement and corruption in the country should be a wake up call to the handlers of the economy.
To him, those who thought that the demonstration was going to be just a group of people coming together to celebrate a republic day holiday, might have revised their note. He was hopeful that handlers of the economy have taken note of the simmering anger of many Ghanaians and will act accordingly, to salvage the failing economy.
President's spokesperson, Ben Dotse Marlor, would not comment on what the President makes of the demonstration when The Chronicle contacted him on phone. But Ace Ankomah, an Accra based prominent lawyer who took part in the demonstration told journalists that he was working as a bull to pay his taxes and that the government must also work like a bull to fix the problems confronting the economy.
He insisted that President John Mahama has the duty to fix the economy. "I don't have to tell you (government) how to fix the economy. If you did not know how to fix the economy, why then did you run for the presidency', an angry Ace Ankomah asked. Mr. Asiedu Kokuro, a Lecturer at the Takoradi Polytechnic, on his part told this reporter that there was no way the current challenges facing the economy could be resolved. This is because the sitting government has no clear vision and policy as to how to overturn the ailing economy.
Speaking on whether or not civil society has a role to play in helping the government to resolve the economic crisis, Asiedu Kokuro, who is also the regional Secretary of the POTAG, intoned that civil society could only make suggestions, only if the sitting government has a vision and policy towards reversing the crisis facing the economy.
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| Ghana police outside Flagstaff House during demonstrations. |
Ghana Chronicle
HUNDREDS OF largely middle class citizens in the country on Republic Day defied an early morning down pour to demonstrate against the increasing economic hardship in the country and the administrative failures of the John Mahama led Government, amid heavy police presence.
Police personnel in full riot gear were dispatched to man the demonstration, much to the surprise of the demonstrators themselves, who accused the police of intimidation. The demonstration, dubbed 'Occupy Flagstaff House' was organized by a non-partisan group calling itself Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance, which garnered massive support from a campaign launched on social media.
The conveners of the hugely successful demonstration had initially wanted to picket in front of the Flagstaff House, the new seat of government, as is done in most advanced countries, but the police turned down the request insisting that the area is a security zone. The police and the organizers eventually agreed on Efua Sutherland Park. The agreement was made public by Nana Akwasi Awuah, one of the conveners of the demonstration.
According to him, after convening at the Southerland Park, the demonstrators would march to the Flagstaff House for three of them to present a petition to the government. Despite this gentleman's agreement, the police cordoned off the street in front of the Park to prevent the demonstrators, who were mostly heads of corporate institutions, lawyers and other middle class people, from marching to the Flagstaff Staff House.
The demonstrators, however, beat the police with brain work, when they dispersed from the Efua Sutherland Park and under the guise of going home, emerged and converged at the TV3 and French Embassy end of the Flagstaff House. The police quickly moved in and this time struck a deal with the demonstrators to allow six of their leaders, plus a journalist from each of the press Houses present, to enter the Flagstaff House to present their petition to the government.
The leaders eventually presented their petition to Deputy Chief of Staff, Madam Valarie Sawyer, who thanked them for drawing the government's attention to some of the issues confronting the country, but pleaded with the demonstrators to support the government in finding solutions to the problems.
Earlier the protesters stated through the various placards that the people surrounding the President have failed to brief him on the true state of affairs. 'The king is naked," one of the placards read. IMANI boss, Frankline Cudjoe, who also took part in the demonstration, told The Chronicle that the numbers that took part in the demonstration to express their anger at the mismanagement and corruption in the country should be a wake up call to the handlers of the economy.
To him, those who thought that the demonstration was going to be just a group of people coming together to celebrate a republic day holiday, might have revised their note. He was hopeful that handlers of the economy have taken note of the simmering anger of many Ghanaians and will act accordingly, to salvage the failing economy.
President's spokesperson, Ben Dotse Marlor, would not comment on what the President makes of the demonstration when The Chronicle contacted him on phone. But Ace Ankomah, an Accra based prominent lawyer who took part in the demonstration told journalists that he was working as a bull to pay his taxes and that the government must also work like a bull to fix the problems confronting the economy.
He insisted that President John Mahama has the duty to fix the economy. "I don't have to tell you (government) how to fix the economy. If you did not know how to fix the economy, why then did you run for the presidency', an angry Ace Ankomah asked. Mr. Asiedu Kokuro, a Lecturer at the Takoradi Polytechnic, on his part told this reporter that there was no way the current challenges facing the economy could be resolved. This is because the sitting government has no clear vision and policy as to how to overturn the ailing economy.
Speaking on whether or not civil society has a role to play in helping the government to resolve the economic crisis, Asiedu Kokuro, who is also the regional Secretary of the POTAG, intoned that civil society could only make suggestions, only if the sitting government has a vision and policy towards reversing the crisis facing the economy.
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