A section of the Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom over the weekend staged a demonstration in London to protest what they described as poor governance and unfulfilled promises under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The demonstrators, dressed in red and black and carrying Ghanaian flags, gathered under police protection outside a town hall event attended by President Mahama during his official visit to the United Kingdom for the Ghana-UK Investment Summit.
President Mahama is in Britain to participate in the summit, a major economic forum organised by the Ghana High Commission in London under the theme, “Restoring Investor Confidence to Unlock Opportunities and Shared Prosperity.” The event seeks to showcase Ghana’s economic direction, attract investment and strengthen bilateral relations between Ghana and the UK.
Numbering in their hundreds, the protesters held placards bearing various messages, including: “Market Women Are Suffering,” “Dumsor Is Killing Businesses,” “NDC Has Failed Ghanaians,” “Commission Mother and Child Hospital,” “Stop Terrorising Dissenting Views,” “Unpaid Cocoa Farmers,” “Abandoned Agenda 111 Hospital Projects,” “Failed Automatic Postings for Nurses and Teachers,” ,Rising Fuel Prices“, and “Failed GHS6,000 Cocoa Price Promise.”
The demonstrators accused the government of failing to deliver on several key campaign promises and expressed concern about the country’s economic direction.
Speaking to the media, one of the organisers, Mr. Kwaku Bimpeh, said the protest was intended to draw the President’s attention to what he described as growing public dissatisfaction with the government’s performance.
According to him, one of the major concerns is the government’s handling of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
“Before assuming office, President Mahama stated that a state of emergency could be declared to address illegal mining. Many Ghanaians believed that commitment and expected decisive action. However, after nearly two years in office, the government has not taken that step despite the continued destruction of our environment,” he stated.
Mr. Bimpeh argued that illegal mining continues to pose a serious threat to water bodies, farmlands and public health, and accused the government of failing to match its campaign rhetoric with action.
He also criticised the administration over cocoa pricing, claiming that cocoa farmers had been disappointed by what he described as the government’s inability to fulfil expectations created during the election campaign.
According to him, cocoa farmers anticipated a significant increase in producer prices after campaign assurances, but the adjustments announced by government have fallen short of those expectations.
The organiser further questioned the implementation of the government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy, arguing that many of the promised employment opportunities associated with the programme have yet to materialise.
“The 24-hour economy was presented as a transformative policy that would create jobs and expand economic opportunities. What Ghanaians are seeing on the ground, however, is different from what was promised,” he claimed.
Mr. Bimpeh urged the Mahama administration to fulfil its campaign commitments and respond to the concerns being raised by citizens both at home and abroad.
“We are speaking up because we believe the government must be held accountable to the promises it made to the Ghanaian people. The NDC must deliver on its commitments and address the challenges confronting ordinary citizens,” he said.
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