Some old men and women who demonstrated in June over harsh economic conditions have threatened to move to Accra and picket in front of the seat of government, if the economic challenges facing the country are not addressed.
According to them, things have turned from bad to worse, with more people losing their jobs as a result of some government decisions.
The elderly citizens have also called on President John Mahama to dispense with the service of Mr Stan Dogbe, a Presidential Staffer, for allegedly destroying a tape recorder belonging to a reporter from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
The oldies numbering over 80 dressed in their mourning attire, expressed these concerns at a press conference at the National Cultural Centre in Kumasi Wednesday.
Demo
On June 24, 2015, the old men and women dressed in black and red attire walked through some principal streets of Kumasi from the Cultural Centre in Bantama through Pampaso, Prisons Roundabout, Melcom Road, Aseda House, Asafo interchange, Labour Roundabout and headed towards the Abbeys Park at Ashanti New Town.
The demonstration dubbed “Mmrewa re su”, to wit, “The aged are crying”, took many onlookers by surprise as it was deemed unprecedented in Ghana’s democracy with regards to demonstrations.
Press briefing
At Wednesday’s press briefing, the leader of the aged group, Maame Serwaa noted that they demonstrated and threatened to strip themselves naked and picket at the frontage of the Flagstaff House thinking that would make the authorities to address the economic harsh conditions.
Unfortunately, she said, since their demonstration in June, things had turned from bad to worse with more people losing their jobs by the day because of high taxes, high electricity tariffs and increased ‘dumsor’.
“We don’t want to believe claims by some Ghanaians that President Mahama was insensitive and that his song was ‘Yentie Obiaa’. I believe that he will listen to us so that we will not move to Accra. We are pleading with him. He should consider the plight of his mothers and fathers,” Maame Serwaa added.
She said as people who have contributed their quota to the progress of the country, they had been suffering at their old age because social intervention policies like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) forcing them to either abandon seeking health care or look for more money to cater for them.
Utilities
Maame Serwaa expressed shock that in the face of all the difficulties, the utilities without shred of shame have the nerve, together with the PURC, to move round the country to tell Ghanaians that they wanted to increase the charges by hundred per cent.
She said Ghanaians have not recovered from the repercussions of the ‘dumsor’ and that any increase in any of the utilities would not auger well for the country.
Stan Dogbe
Maame Serwaa wondered why Mr Stan Dogbe, who used to be a reporter could snatch a recorder from his colleague journalist and destroy it in the course of duty.
“Was it not the same Mr Stan who published the secret documents of the medical doctors to the annoyance of the doctors? Our President is a gentleman and should not surround himself with such characters”, she added.
