Demonstrations rock Accra, Tema

Emelia Ennin Abbey, ACCRA; Della Ocloo, Tema and Andrews Tetteh, Takoradi Jul - 22 - 2014 , 07:31

Two workers groups and six communities in the Greater Accra Region yesterday staged separate demonstrations against what they termed as poor economic conditions in the country.

While the two groups–the railway workers in Accra and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union in Tema–protested against poor conditions of service and high cost of living, the six communities near Ablekuma in Accra took to the streets to express their frustrations to the government over the deplorable nature of their roads.

As part of their protest, the railway workers blocked part of the railway line from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the Graphic Road, from 10 a.m to 10.15 a.m, a situation which caused heavy vehicular traffic.

Passengers in commercial vehicles had to disembark and walk to their various destinations, while some commuters offloaded their goods from the passenger train which was supposed to convey them from Accra to Nsawam. The commuters were told the passenger service for the day had been cancelled.

Instead of the passenger service, many of the railway workers, clad in T-shirts, boarded the train as it ran a short shuttle from the main Accra Railway Station to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle as a way of sending signals to the authorities to address their concerns.

Police personnel were positioned at strategic locations at Circle and along the Graphic Road to ensure law and order.

Rationale for the action

Explaining the rationale for the action, the Organiser of Unionised Workshop of the Railway Workers Union, Mr Kwesi Mbiah, said the action by the railway workers was a way of making their concerns known to the government.

Workers of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC) issued a threat to declare a strike from July 21, 2014, unless the government showed some commitment to solve their problems.

While the railway workers in Accra staged their protest, their counterparts in Takoradi were at post.

However, at the time of going to press, the railway workers said they had called off the strike.

In Tema, members of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) took to the streets as a way of exerting pressure on the government to deal with what they said was economic decline, writes Della Russel-Ocloo.

Carrying placards with inscriptions, “Boko Haram government”, “Stop Piracy, Mr President, “Weak economy is job reduction-not job creation”, “Dumsor government”, among other slogans the over 500 demonstrators marched through some principal streets of Tema to press home their demand for the re-introduction of fuel subsidies and reduction in utility tariffs, among other demands.

The General Secretary of the ICU, Mr Solomon Kotei, who described the demonstration as a curtain raiser to the nationwide strike by organised labour slated for Thursday, July 24, said they would continue to exert pressure on the government until it initiated moves to solve the economic challenges confronting the industrial sector.

Presenting a petition to Mr Isaac Odamtten, the Chief Executive of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Kotei challenged the government to purge itself of corrupt officials at the seat of government and the various ministries, departments and agencies (MMDAs).

Petition

The 10-point petition highlighted issues of the dollarisation of the economy, rising inflation, unbridled trade liberalisation, power outages, fuel increases, second tier pension contribution, corruption, among other concerns.

The petition called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, cut down unnecessary government expenditure and also purge itself of corruption.

Meanwhile, Emelia Ennin Abbey reports that hundreds of residents of six communities near Ablekuma in Accra blocked the major road that leads to the area to protest against the deplorable nature of the roads.

The demonstration was organised by commercial drivers, transport owners and some concerned citizens in the area.

As a result of the demonstration, commuters became stranded and had to walk for hours to join vehicles to their various destinations.

As early as 3:30 am, the organisers of the demonstration blocked the major road at four vantage points by burning old car tyres and preventing all vehicles from moving in or out of the communities.

Protestors march

Later the protesters from Afuaman, Manhean, Oduman, Nsakina, Block Factory and Borkorborkor, wearing red attires, marched along the road. They wore red bands on their wrists and heads and held placards with inscriptions such as “We are also citizens of Ghana,” “No Road no vote” “do we have a representative in Parliament at all”, “what offence have we committed,” “we want a good road, not sanitary pads.”

It took the combined efforts of police from Amasaman, Tesano, Odorkor, Anyaah and Accra Central to control the rioting crowd.

Later, the demonstrators converged on a park at a public school at Afuaman for the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Sam Atukkwei Quaye, to address them.

“I have heard your concerns. I understand your plight and I will make resources available to ensure that the road is reconstructed to make it motorable by August 2014,” he said.

He explained that the road could not be constructed during the rainy season.