Massive anti-government demonstration rocks Kumasi

Tens of thousands of people on Tuesday massed on the streets of Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, in a big anti-government demonstration against what they called worsening economic hardship and deterioration of the quality of life.

Commercial activities in the metropolis were completely paralyzed as many of the traders and shop owners shut their businesses to join the protest march, called by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The protesters, dressed in red and black, set off from the State Boys’ School at Bantama and their numbers kept swelling as they walked through the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Adum, Roman Hill to the Abbey’s Park, creating a traffic gridlock.

Backed by brass band music, blowing of the “vuvuzela” and whistling, they shouted anti-government slogans and carried placards with messages “We are hungry Mahama” “Dumso is killing us”, “Why capitation in Ashanti” “Ghanaians deserve better”, “Oh Mahama the economy is collapsing”, and “Ghanaians abre”.

Among them were some leading figures of the NPP including the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame (MP), Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, MP for Tafo-Pankrono, Mr Isaac Osei, MP for Subin, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang, MP for Oforikrom and Mr Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman.

There was a large police contingent led by the Ashanti Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Kofi Boakye.

A 70-year-old retired teacher, Madam Agnes Owusu, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that she joined the demonstration to register her disappointment at the poor handling of the economy.

“Nothing seems to be going right and we certainly do not deserve this”, she added.

Kwaku Opoku Agyemang, a 25-year-old graduate said he came out to “express anger and frustration at the mess - the hopelessness of our present economic situation”.

The protestors ended at the Abbeys Park, where they were addressed by their leaders.

Running through their speeches was bitter complaints about the faltering economy, which they blamed on government’s mismanagement.

They said the demonstration had sent a powerful message that Ghanaians were reeling under unbearable economic suffering.

They accused the Mahama administration of political discrimination, citing the insurance capitation piloted in the Ashanti Region for about three years, which they said was crippling the health system and denying people in the region access to quality health care.  

The speakers’ rallied supporters of the party to stand together and work hard to return the NPP to power in 2016 to end the suffering.

(GNA)