AFAG demonstrates against hardship, corruption
Hundreds of people Wednesday took to the streets of Accra to protest against what they described as worsening economic conditions, increasing corruption and hardship in the country.
The demonstration, dubbed: “Aagbe Wo”, which literally means “They are killing us”, drew a large number of participants from all parts of Accra.
It was organised by Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), a political pressure group.
The protesters included the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Paul Afoko; the General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyepong; the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; the Minority Chief Whip, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, as well as other NPP Members of Parliament (MPs).
Some of the demonstrators poured out their sentiments in the form of messages on placards, such as, “Ghana is on fire”; “We are suffering; NDC why?”; “Wicked government with wicked legacy”; “When evil men rule, the whole nation cries”, and “NDC: dumsor, dumsor champion”.
About 200 armed policemen were deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the demonstration.
Initially, the demonstration was planned to start from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and go through Adabraka, the Farisco Traffic Lights, the TUC area to the Hearts Park, but on reaching the Farisco Traffic Lights, the crowd defied police instructions and rather continued to the central business district of the capital.
The police had to give up their attempt to keep the demonstrators along the scheduled route because they would not be tamed.
Why the protest
Speaking to the Daily Graphic before the start of the march, the Chairman of AFAG, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, said the protest formed part of the fight against increasing corruption, hardship, poor services and unemployment in the country.
“Corruption is killing us. World fuel prices are low but fuel prices in the country are high. All these are happening due to the ineptitude of the government,” he said.
Dr Afriyie explained that the protestors had been compelled to go on the march because the system was failing the people and the government was not listening to be able to appreciate the suffering of the people.
Madam Anita Obeng, a trader, said she joined the march on behalf of those who were struggling to make their voices heard by the government.
“I find it very difficult to raise enough money from my business to pay my children’s school fees,” she complained.
Mr Frank Oppong, 26, who introduced himself as a student, condemned the government for failing to come up with measures to ease the suffering in the country, adding that the prevailing economic hardship was unbearable, particularly for students.
Addresses
The demonstrators made a stopover on reaching the Makola square, where some of their leaders took turns to address them.
That caused a heavy traffic jam in the area.
Mr Afoko said the impressive turnout of protestors should make the government listen and heed the voices of the suffering masses.
“Corruption is a canker affecting the country and must be tackled seriously, as it is affecting all Ghanaians,” he said, and urged the people to vote out the NDC government, come 2016.
Mr Agyepong, for his part, said all sectors, particularly the economy, education and industry, were failing due to the incompetence of the government.
Mr Botwe, who is also the MP for Okere in the Eastern Region, blamed what he called heightening corruption and the suffering of Ghanaians on the incompetence of the government.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohunu, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the protest, even though the crowd did not move along the defined routes agreed between the leadership of AFAG and the police.
“Although the people did not follow the planned routes, we managed to control the crowd, making the event a success,” he stated.
