For being the architect of most groundbreaking demonstrations in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, a leadership and management Professor at the Academic City University College, Enoch Opoku Antwi, is supprised protestors in President Akufo-Addo’s era are being persecuted.
He says Ghanaian leaders are far detached from what’s happening to the citizens, the reason they are not exhibiting a modicum of empathy to the suffering masses who are exercising their constitutional rights.
Using the Arab Spring instance which commenced on December 17, 2010 in North Africa’s Tunisia, he said the Moroccan King went to the streets in a disguised personality to get first hand information from the people when he realised they were demonstrating.
The governance analyst wants Ghanaian leadership to emulate such traits in order to be closer to the people to appreciate the challenges they go through on a daily basis.
His comments come on the back of about 50 proetestors who were arrested Thursday, September 21, 2023, while embarking on a protest to the Jubilee House, the seat of government of Ghana.
He was making a contribution on TV3’s The KeyPoints Saturday, September 23, hosted by Alfred Ocansey.
“Leaders should be on the ground so that they will feel what the ordinary Ghanaian is feeling. When they told him (the King of Morocco) the price of food then he said “oh I see, this is what the people are going through”.
“So you can tell that our leaders are detached from the realities on the ground, what they (masses) are going through. Demonstrations, our current president is the Commander-In-Chief of demonstration; Kumi Prɛko, Sie Me Prɛko, Wie Me Prɛko, he was leading all these,” he indicated.
Background
About 50 protesters were apprehended on Thursday, September 21, 2023, during a disrupted protest towards the Jubilee House.
The 49 protesters were rounded up by the Police at the 37 bus terminal, where they had assembled for the planned protest on Thursday morning.
The police cited that an application to halt the demonstration had been submitted and served to Atuguba & Associates, the legal team representing the organisers from Democracy Hub, as early as Tuesday, September 19.
However, the organisers claimed they had no knowledge of the application and chose to proceed with their march.
Meanwhile, one of the organisers, Oliver Barker Vormawor said almost all of the protesters arrested on Thursday have been released.
He, however, mentioned that the group was yet to locate one of their members who had still not been accounted for. According to him, they were unable to reach him because all their phones were seized by the Police.
Meanwhile, some members of the group and some celebrities including Efia Odo, EL gathered at the 37 Lorry station to continue with the protest.
The group vowed to continue the protest despite the arrest of some participants and alleged intimidation by the police.
