Sammy Gyamfi, a lead convenor of the Arise Ghana group, organizers of the ‘krom ayε shi’ demonstration, says the protest is not for partisan gains and will serve the interest of the public.
He said all the various actors in the group are committed to ensuring a better Ghana and are focused on impressing on the president to improve the living conditions of Ghanaians.
Speaking on The Point of View, Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) said, the demonstration will be made up of an organic number of citizens who are genuinely being affected by the governance activities of the Akufo-Addo administration and not just members of any political party.
“People want us to put the national interest first before our partisan interest and so long as the clarion call is on the national interest, people are willing to participate. That is why Arise Ghana is already a success because this mobilization is organic. We are overwhelmed by the calls and support we are getting. We are law-abiding citizens, and we want to embark on a peaceful demonstration,” he said.
Sammy Gyamfi said the group believes that the Akufo-Addo government has failed to honour its campaign promises of a better Ghana and has led the country into a state of suffering “as a result of the management of the economy.”
The Arise Ghana group is holding a demonstration on Tuesday and Wednesday (June 28 and 29, 2022) in Accra to demand, among other things, the withdrawal of the controversial E-levy, total abolishment of the Agyapa mineral royalties deal, return of State lands grabbed by public officials, payment of allowances to NABCO recruits among other trainees, immediate slashing of government spending, reduction on public borrowing and reduction in the price of petroleum products by scrapping taxes.
The group originally intended to hold the protest from 3pm to 10pm including gathering in front of the Jubilee House in Accra, but the police took the matter to court, where the court directed the organizers of the protest to end their activities by 4pm due to national security concerns.
Meanwhile, another lead convener of the protest, Bernard Mornah says the success of the demonstration should not be measured by the number of participants but by their ability to put across their message and demands for a better Ghana.
“Demonstrations are not just about the numbers. The message and reasons for the demonstration is what is important,” he said, noting that many public officials including police officers, have been urging them on and supporting them, although they are unable to join the protest publicly due to the nature of their work.
