The organic youth movement under the name #FixTheCountry has sent shockwaves through Ghana’s political system with their massive street protests that rocked Accra yesterday, August 4, 2021.
Franklin Cudjoe, the founder of policy think-tank IMANI-Africa described the demonstration as a “huge success”.
On his Facebook page, Cudjoe wrote: “The #FixTheCountry demo was a huge success. Congrats to the organisers.”
On his part, the host of Joy News’ Newfile current affairs show, Samson Lardi Anyenini expressed surprise at the enthusiasm of the youth group. “ I thought they would have lost steam after all the frustration by the state, plus Delta’s ( new COVID-19 variant) rampage. Wow!” They have been out there for some 4 hours now. I was surprised to see a man who said he was 75+. It isn’t a youth on social media thing afterall,” Anyenini said.
The apolitical youth movement mobilised thousands of young people and other disgruntled citizens who say they are determined to oust the exploitative political status quo in Ghana through all legitimate means, including pressuring for a brand new constitution for Ghana.
The youth movement is also calling for the ousting of the old guards in Ghana’s political arena, as well as their contentious perks of office, like those enjoyed by the infamous Article 71 Officeholders.
Today’s protest comes after several unsuccessful attempts by the Akufo Addo administration to suppress the growing movement, sending the Ghana Police Service to squash their planned demonstration in early May and July 2021.
The Ghana Police Service had stormed both the High Court and the Supreme Court seeking a perpetual injunction to stop the youth group from protesting.
However, in all the cases, the team of legal representatives thoroughly trounced government lawyers, including Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, who had sought to criminalise the protest.
The protesters marched along principal streets of Accra, chanting patriotic anthems of Ghana as well as brandishing hard-hitting placards targeting the two main political parties in the country: the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The two political parties who have virtually monopolised Ghana’s Fourth Republic are seen as being responsible for the wanton corruption, dearth of infrastructure and economic decline, and hence must be banished.
Whatsup News is reliably informed that the rising momentum of the youth movement is making the NDC and NPP uncomfortable, as they are certain that it will erode their electoral demographics, as more youth become non-partisan.
This is one of the factors that underpinned the Akufo Addo administration’s attempt to shut down the group’s protest.
It took the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to allow the police administration to agree to provide security for the protestors
The #FixTheCountry Movement had planned their first demonstration on May 9, 2021, but the Police had rushed to the courts to seek a perpetual injunction on the said protests.
After the long-drawn legal tussle, the Police Service was trounced in court and was forced to make the U-Turn allowing the protest.
The group is planning to hold regular protests across all the regions in Ghana until the constitution is changed and a workable development plan is carved for the “New Ghana”.
