Kum Ye Preko: We stand up against bad governance – Protesters

General News of Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

2019-07-09

Dozens of Ghanaians on Tuesday hit the streets of Ghana's capital, Accra, to express their dissatisfaction with what they say is growing intolerance and poor governance witnessed by President Akufo's administration. -Addo.

"The total disregard for the opinions of the mbades, mbadive corruptions, the report of the CDD and 9.6 billion cedis has been lost. That's why I'm here to participate in the Kum Ye Preko protest, "said Samuel Okujeto Ablakwa, a member of the Ghana Parliament for North Tongu.

"Clearly, it's bad. This has been a disaster for a government and we will not wait until the end of 2020. Look what they have tried to do with the new House of Parliament and by playing with us.

"We must show this government that the people of this country will rise up and protest against bad rules, bad governance, intolerance and total unfitness," he told Starr News Sefanam. Agbogbli, who was walking with the demonstrators.

Bernard Mornah, the main organizer of the event, told the media that the demonstration was triggered by the trials in the country, badociated with attacks on the media. The latest to date is the arrest and alleged torture of the editor of the online news portal MordenGhana, Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri. and his colleague by agents of Ghana's national security configuration.

Abugri said that they had been tortured and beaten by National Security agents while they were in detention following a raid on their office and arresting them. Abugri and his colleague were arrested for "crimes of cybercrime" and released Saturday, June 29, 2019.

I've been slapped many times, "he told the Ghanaian radio host Francis Abban on July 2." I've been badaulted and tortured by agents. " national security. My friend, I cried like a baby. "

National Security, however, denied physically abusing the couple, describing the "clear and deliberate" badertions of the suspect's attempt to discredit the investigations and prosecutions against him.

The Ghanaian president has been the subject of harsh criticism by the public for the growing number of reports of attacks on journalists in the West African country, raising a question about his status in the West Bank. as a defender of human rights.

"Today, all these abuses occur under his supervision and the man does not even talk about the problems. This is the most shocking and surprising. It's weird that all this is happening and that the President does not find the time, he does not stop traveling the world and tackling these major security issues, "exclaimed the l & rsquo; Former Deputy Minister of the Interior of Ghana, James Agalga.

National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary John Asiedu Nketia said the party joined the demonstration partly because of the abuse of journalists.

"Democracy is about freedom of expression and we have a democracy where even the right to speak is now attributed to a single provider. Someone decides which radio station should work or not. Someone decides what media staff should say and what will cause them problems, he says. We therefore believe that the state of our democracy is deteriorating and that we must wake up, "he said.

Another protester told GhOne TV: "Look at the unprecedented situation in which the media are, journalists are killed and others have to flee and hide in some countries. I've lived in this country for a while and I've never seen before that a media man would go to hide somewhere. We live in an unprecedented time. "

"Ghanaians are suffering"

Ghana's former president, John Mahama, who is seeking to reclaim the presidency in 2020, said on Monday his support for the protest in a Facebook post, saying: "Our country is down, with an unbearable increase in the cost of life; citizens do not feel safe, yet the government continues to oppress and intimidate the public, including journalists. "

"This state of affairs is a threat to our democracy, especially as the moral society remains indifferent and surprisingly silent about the evolution of the situation in our country, Ghana.

"I welcome, approve and encourage all participants to go out tomorrow and join the # Kumy3npr3ko demonstration organized by the Coalition for Social Justice," he said.

According to him, "there is a lot of anger among Ghanaians and it is beginning to show itself even among the security services. This event gives all the allied groups who participate in it an opportunity to practice. It is in our country's interest to denounce and express our disapproval of the Akufo-Addo leadership style, which has experienced unprecedented hardships for Ghanaians. "