The ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Youth Wing, Sallam Mustapha has condemned a three-day demonstration sponsored by the pressure organisation Democracy Hub.
Salam Mustapha noted in a statement that the protesters failed to provide the most salient reason and demand for the protest, but nothing concrete.
“Except for the usual rhetoric of fix the road, motorway, cost of living and other tangentials, which borders on politics,” he added.
Mustapha, on the other hand, criticised the police conduct on the first day of the #OccupyJulorbiHouse movement on Thursday, September 21.
He underlined the need of police learning from prior instances in order to prevent such occurrences.
“I followed with keen interest a 3-Day demonstration organised by a group known as Democracy Hub. I want to firstly condemn the action of the police force on the first day of the demonstration. I thought that the barbaric act that was meted on us in September 2015, where we were brutalised, served as a lesson for the police to learn from and never to repeat again but alas.
“For the records, the right to demonstrate is inalienable and guaranteed by the Constitution. Citizens have the right to protest, albeit peacefully to drum home their demand(s).”
Responding to the group’s call for improved living conditions for Ghanaians, Salam Mustapha, who agreed that Ghanaians are experiencing economic challenges, assured the government’s efforts to repair the economy.
“In conclusion, this country’s valiant youth deserve better. Without a question, we are in trouble. But I can say clearly that all young people around the world have comparable tales to ours, to varied degrees, but there is global stress on us all.
From Thursday to Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Accra for anti-government protests linked to economic hardship, which resulted in dozens of arrests.
Protesters marched under the observation of riot police, some brandishing banners or the Ghanaian flag, decrying the high cost of living and a lack of jobs. The gold, oil, and cocoa-producing country has been suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation, which has been exacerbated by growing public debt.
On the first day, 49 demonstrators were apprehended. A BBC journalist and his cameraman were also detained, and Metro TV’s Bridget Otoo was assaulted by police on Thursday.
On Friday and Saturday, the group continued its demonstration, with police preventing them from marching to the Jubilee House.
