By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Nov. 5, GNA – Leaders of “KumePreko” demonstration have urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to hand over the reins of power of the Speaker of Parliament by Wednesday, November 9.
According to them, the President’s administration had failed to salvage the country from the current economic distress, hence their request.
However, the government has blamed the current economic crisis on the Covid-19 pandemic socio-economic disruption and the effect of the Russia-Ukraine War.
According to the World Bank, Ghana’s GDP growth rate was 8.1 percent in 2018; 6.5 percent in 2019; 0.5 in 2020; and 5.4 percent in 2021.
Addressing hundreds of protesters at the Black Star Square on Saturday, Mr Martin Kpebu, Lead Organiser of the demonstration, however, accused the Government of mismanaging the economy, saying that had resulted in the escalation of prices of goods and services.
“We are calling on President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia and Mr Ken Ofori Atta to resign immediately or latest by Wednesday 9,” he said.
Mr Kpebu said Ghanaians could no longer withstand the “heat” and were “suffocating” and that the only way out was for the leadership of the government to step down for the Speaker of Parliament to take over.
He said: “When the Speaker takes over, he must roll out plans to cushion Ghanaians; he must reduce some of the taxes, find innovative ways to ensure prices of commodities and fuel come down and find ways to strengthen the cedi.”
Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Convener of #FixTheCountry Movement, a pressure group, said Ghanaians needed to be careful of “superficial truth” in handling the economic hardship.
“We are in a deep economic and systemic crisis; it is bigger than the pandemic and the responses to avert this must not be superficial. The problem we are in now is as the result of a political class that do not listen,” he said.
Mr Barker-Vormawor said in restructuring and reforming the country, there was the need to have a discussion on the 1992 Constitution to avoid a recurrence of the economic hardships taking Ghana to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 17 times.
Mr Nii Ayi Opare, Spokesperson, Economic Fighters League, called on the youth and the citizenry to speak up to save the economy from collapsing.
He said they – economic fighters – would resist any attempt to plunge Ghana into civil unrest and called on Parliament to pass a vote of censure on Ken Ofori Atta, the Finance Minister.
The demonstration saw hundreds of Ghanaians, in red attire, marching through some principal streets of Accra for more than three hours.
Prices of goods and services have tripped in days, with diesel selling at about GHS23. 00 per litre and petrol selling at nearly 18 per litre at the pump.
Last week, President Akufo-Addo addressed the nation and admitted that the country was in “economic crisis” but gave the assurance that efforts were being made by Government to restore stability and growth.
The economy, the President said, was recording significant growth until the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Government is negotiating a deal with the International Monetary Fund to aid the economic recovery with some expected three billion dollars.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture later said the Ministry would cart foodstuff from farm gates to Accra next week for direct sales to reduce food prices in the capital.
GNA