Ghanaian police said it has arrested 42 protesters in Accra, the nation’s capital. This is following a clashes between the police and demonstrators who are protesting against economic hardship in the country.
According to reports, the protest was organized by the Democracy Hub. The protest which began on Friday and was set to continue until this week.
The demonstrators, mostly young people, marched through the city chanting patriotic songs. They were also seen carrying placards expressing frustration over environmental destruction caused by illegal mining. The protesters believed that the economic mismanagement by the government is the cause of the hardship in their country.
However, the police have said that 42 people were arrested on Sunday.
In a statement by the police spokesperson, Grace Ansah-Akrofi said, “These individuals assembled unlawfully and attacked police officers who were performing their lawful duties.
“They will be arraigned in court for their actions, which include obstructing traffic, damaging property and causing disturbances.”
The police added that the protesters engaged in various acts of lawlessness. Including removing the ignition key from a police vehicle and throwing it away. Pushing down crash barriers and disrupting the peace.
The police also announced a manhunt for other protest leaders. Including popular lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor for allegedly evading arrest.
“We are working to bring all those responsible to face justice,” Ansah-Akrofi added.
Reacting to the allegation by the police, one of the protest leaders, Barker-Vormawor, dismissed the police claim. He insisted that the police’s claim about him was “baseless and misleading”.
“I have been in consistent communication with senior officers within the Police hierarchy regarding my whereabouts and availability,” he said in a post on X.
Also the Democracy Hub condemned the police’s use of force, calling it an unjustified attack on peaceful demonstrators.
“We urge the authorities to engage in constructive dialogue with protest leaders to protect the rights and safety of all participants,” the group said in a statement.
The protests come as Ghana gears up for a presidential election in December, with the economy at the forefront of the campaign.
The race according to political analyst is between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia against former president John Mahama of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Ghana’s economy is slowly recovering from a severe financial crisis in 2022, which forced the country to default on its external debt.
Inflation peaked at 54 percent in December 2022 but eased to 20.4 percent last month.
President Nana Akufo-Addo will be stepping down after two terms. While his deputy Bawumia is leading the ruling party’s bid to retain power.
Ghana, a leading producer of oil, gold and cocoa, is gradually steadying its economy with a $3-billion relief package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
source: Nigerian Tribune
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