Gov’t will address your concerns – Finance Ministry assures Arise Ghana protestors

Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare has assured Arise Ghana demonstrators and the public that the government is committed to addressing all economic challenges.

She gave the assurance while receiving the petition presented by the demonstrators at the ministry on Wednesday, 29 June 2022.

“On Monday, the government met some of the relevant stakeholders on the rising food prices. The government will continue to meet all the relevant stakeholders and ensure that we come up with policies and programmes that will address the issues that you have raised today.

“We will make sure that the Minister (Ken Ofori Atta) also receives the petition and do whatever is necessary to address the concerns that you have raised. Let us continue to live in peace and guard the peace that we have jealously because this is the only country that we have and the only country that God has given us.

“We are in this together, and together we will make things happen. We will bring a change that we will all feel in our pockets and everywhere that we are. So, I want to urge my brothers and sisters to continue to demonstrate peacefully and know that the government is concerned and we’ve already taken the initiatives, and very soon, you’ll see the programmes that have been rolled out to address the concerns that have arisen,” she said.

The deputy minister attributed the current economic hardships in the country to global occurrences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

She also used the opportunity to thank the police administration for effective policing and ensuring that the peace between the two parties was maintained.

The demonstrators also handed a copy of the petition to the leadership of Parliament — both the Majority and Minority side of the house.

The Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said the House has taken notice of the concerns raised, acknowledging the fact that it is a global challenge.

“We have noted the concerns that you raised including matters relating to taxes, and reclassification of the Achimota forests. We must not be oblivious of matters happening around us, the world generally and, in particular the subregion.

“So, indeed, we have the right to demonstrate but let’s keep it peaceful; in order that nobody takes advantage of what is happening to destabilise the country,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.

On his part, Mr Iddrisu said the House would take note of the content of the petition and provoke debate accordingly for the needed attention.

“We need to work together to lessen the burden of the Ghanaian. It is a truism that the cost of living is high, the cost of doing business is high, and unemployment is growing high in our country. We will consider the request of the Petitioners within the general context of the challenges of the Ghanaian economy,” he assured.

He also urged the demonstrators to main the peace even as the constitution guarantees their right to demonstrate.

“What is important is for us to preserve the peace of the country, the stability of the country, our democracy, even as we protest, which is legitimately guaranteed every Ghanaian to manifest such protest when you are not happy. We commend the peacefulness of it, I understand that yesterday, there were some infractions, avoidably if they were, we all should work to improve it, so that Police -Civil relation does not suffer and we should work to keep the peace and stability of the country,” he added.

Background

On Tuesday, 28 June 2022, the pressure group, Arise Ghana took to the streets to protest economic hardships in the country.

The first day of the protest was marred by chaotic scenes resulting in the arrest of some 29 persons concerning the bloody violence that erupted.

A statement from the police said they “were arrested for their participation in violent attacks on the police and some members of the public, including school children”.

The police said available video footage of the event is being reviewed, and all other persons identified for taking part in the attacks and inciting the violence will be arrested and brought to face justice.

Meanwhile, 12 officers have also suffered various injuries as Arise Ghana demonstrators attacked police by hurling stones and other objects at them.

The protesters also vandalised property, including police buses and burnt car tyres in the middle of the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.

But, Wednesday’s demonstration saw a calculated effort by all factions to avoid any chaotic instances and drum home their message of the suffering Ghanaians.

Motivation for the demonstration?

I) Protest against persistent and astronomical hikes in fuel prices by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that has imposed excruciating economic hardships on Ghanaians.

II) Protest against the imposition of the obnoxious E-Levy on the already-burdened Ghanaian people by the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

III) Demand a full-scale and bi-partisan parliamentary probe into COVID-19 expenditures.

IV) Protest against the grabbing of State lands by officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, particularly the de-classification of huge portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve.

V) Protest against the increased rate of police brutalities and state-sponsored killing of innocent Ghanaians, as well as the growing culture of human rights abuses under the watch of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.