Symphathisers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition National Patriotic Party (NPP) will both take to the streets of Kumasi on February 24 in separate marches.
Ebenezer Alokke, a member of NDC’s communications team says they will hit the streets to proclaim the good works of President John Mahama, despite the largely NPP-backed Movement For Change demo against government the same day.
Speaking on Kessben Television’s Adeakye Abia morning show program, Mr Alokke said the current power crisis affects both NDC and NPP members irrespective of people’s affiliation and status, which does not warrant a demonstration.
“The current power crisis is unfortunate and the President has publicly accepted the blame, so why should the NPP hide behind the MFC to demonstrate?” he asked.
“If they want to demonstrate, we will protest,” he added.
Mr Alokke, who described the NDC’s procession as ‘Movement for a Better Ghana’, said it is a campaign to amass one million votes in the Ashanti region. He assured the public that there will be no clash between the two groups since they are using different routes and also because of the police presence.
The Ashanti Region Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Tanko, however said this morning on Kessben FM that police endorsement of both marches on the same day was a mistake.
George Ayisi Boateng, a founding member of the NPP, stressed that the demonstration was necessary, as the NDC government had failed woefully to manage the current power crisis despite borrowing to the tune of US$27 billion.
“If the President had invested at least $7 billion out of the $27 billion he borrowed in the power sector, we would not have been here,” he emphasized.
Mr Ayisi Boateng stated that although he is not part of the Movement for Change, he will join the demonstration against “dumsor” on 24th February.
He also lambasted the police for their flaws in permitting the two demonstrations on the same day and called for the mistake to be rectified.
Credit: Ben Bliss Elom
