2023 was one of Ghana’s most challenging years in terms of the country’s economic performance.
To express discontent, many Ghanaians poured out on the streets of Accra to demonstrate against the government on one issue or the other.
The main social problems that triggered the protests include the high cost of living, corruption, unemployment, high debt, inflation and poor working conditions.
This article takes a look at four demonstrations that rocked Ghana in 2023.
#OccupyJulorBiHouse Protest
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Accra from Thursday, September 21 to Saturday, September 23, for anti-government protests linked to economic hardship.
The three-day Occupy Julorbi House’ protest, organised by the pressure group’ Democracy Hub’, was aimed to compel President Nana Akufo-Addo and members of the Economic Management Team to address economic mismanagement and corruption issues in the country.
The demonstrators, who gathered at the 37 lorry station to march to the Jubilee House, were prevented from proceeding further.
Protesters encountered a roadblock manned by police officers near the 37 Military Hospital. The police were equipped with SWAT gear and armoured vehicles. In response, demonstrators sat down on the road, effectively taking over the area while awaiting a resolution.
Protesters, some waving placards and the Ghanaian flags decried the high cost of living and a lack of jobs as they marched under the watch of riot police.
The gold-, oil- and cocoa-producing nation has been battling its worst economic crisis in a generation brought on by spiralling public debt.
During the first day of the ‘Occupy Julorbi House’ protest, the police employed tactics to thwart the demonstration.
Several protesters were arrested and detained at various police stations in the city. A BBC journalist and his cameraman were also picked up, while Metro TV’s Bridget Otoo was also roughed up by the police on Thursday.
However, all 49 detainees were subsequently released on the same day.
The group continued its protest on Friday and Saturday, with the police barricading them from marching to the Jubilee House.
#OccupyBoG Protest
The minority caucus in Parliament led the #OccupyBoG protest with a march along the principal streets of Accra on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
The street protest was organised by the NDC caucus in Parliament, pressure group Arise Ghana, Justice for Ghana and other groups to demand the resignation of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison and his deputies.
This demand was due to what the protestors said was significant incompetence on the part of these officials, which they believed had directly contributed to the financial challenges of the Bank of Ghana.
The Bank of Ghana reported a loss of GH¢ 60.8 billion, which the Minority in Parliament found unacceptable. Similarly, the central bank reportedly printed about GH¢ 77 billion for government spending.
The protesters sang vocal and chanted songs in black and red attire. They held placards bearing various slogans, including ‘Mr Printer Stop Printing Money For Criminals’, ‘Misgovernor Addison’, and ‘Akyem Mafia Government’, as they expressed their frustration and pressed their demands to the government.
Upon arrival at the BoG headquarters to present a petition to the Governor, the protest leaders were met by Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng, head of security at the central bank.
They were informed that Governor Addison was engaged in a meeting with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and, as a result, was unavailable to receive the petition.
In response, Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson expressed his dissatisfaction with this development, labelling it as disrespectful. He pledged to return later when the Governor could personally receive the petition.
Meanwhile, on X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag #OccupyBoG quickly gained traction, with many Ghanaians using the hashtag to share their stories of hardship and to call for change.
A day after the said protest, the BoG Governor, in an interview with an international business news website, disclosed that he was not stepping down, describing the protest by minority legislators as “completely unnecessary.”
“The Minority in Parliament have many channels to channel their grievances in civilised societies, not through demonstrations in the streets as hooligans,” Dr Addison responded.
Pensioner Bondholders picket at Finance Ministry
Members of the Pensioner Bondholders Forum began picketing at the premises of the Finance Ministry in February 2023 following the government’s decision to include its members in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
The DDEP was part of the requirements to secure a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Several affected groups, including the pensioner bondholders forum, pressured the government to exempt them from the programme.
After some picketing, the government succumbed to the pressure and offered the pensioners an exemption but defaulted many times in paying their matured coupons.
On Friday, February 10, former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, joined the pensioner bondholders to picket at the Finance Ministry.
Speaking to journalists, Madam Akuffo said, as a pensioner, she joined the others in demanding a total exemption from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
She stressed that they had worked faithfully and deserved to enjoy their peaceful retirement.
The former chief justice added that most pensioners solely depended on their bonds, so the move from the government would have dire consequences on their quality of life.
Gold Coast fund customers picket at the Finance Ministry
On November 28, aggrieved customers of the defunct Gold Coast Fund Management began a 32-hour protest outside the Ministry of Finance demanding their locked-up investments.
About a hundred people blocked the entrance to the ministry, exerting pressure on the government to address their concerns.
As part of the protest, the customers slept overnight at the ministry.
The group had picketed at the premises of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for three days in May 2023 for the same purpose, but that did not yield the desired result.
They said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had not paid their locked funds, although Parliament approved GH¢8.6 billion to settle them.
The group stated that all efforts to retrieve the locked-up funds from the collapsed Gold Coast Fund Management Company had proven futile.
The Gold Coast Investment Fund Management Company is among the fifty-three (53) Fund Management Companies (FMCs) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with the latter acting in accordance with Section 122 (2) (b) of the Securities Industry Act 2016, (Act 929) (SIA) revoked their licenses on November 8 2019.
The decision was due to various regulatory breaches, including their inability to return clients’ funds estimated at eight billion cedis (GH¢ 8 billion) and significant breaches of applicable rules that created risks to financial stability.
The licenses were revoked in accordance with the mandate of the SEC to protect investors and the integrity of the capital market.
In 2021, Parliament approved a GH¢5.5 billion to settle owed customers of fund management companies.
The funds are yet to be disbursed to the customers.