Police stops #FixTheCountry demo

The Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Effia Tenge, said the Public Order Act, which imposes a ban on public gatherings, especially due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrains the Command from sanctioning the #FixTheCountry protest.

"The notification to the police to organise a demonstration is provided by the Public Order Act and, so, once we receive a notification from an organiser or a group of people planning on such a demonstration, what we do as a command is to invite them, sit down, we look at the letter, look at the merits of the letter on such a demonstration." She noted in an interview on Accra-based Class FM.

 "If there's anything the police needs to take note of and advise the group as such; whether the letter, in a way, endangers public safety; whether the police has the numbers to protect the demonstrating public; we take all these into consideration and then the police decides what action to take based on the discussions between us and the groups who are intending to embark on this demonstration." She added.

Some agitated Ghanaians  wrote to the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to declare their intention of embarking on a demonstration on Sunday, May 9.

The protest which has been tagged, #FixTheCountry is to express their displeasure  over what they describe as a failure on the part of successive governments to improve the lives of the citizenry.

In the letter signed by 20 individuals, they explained that the date, May 9, was settled on,  to capture the restless spirit of the over 126 Ghanaians who lost their lives some 20 years ago at the Accra Sports Stadium due to the “institutionalized incompetence and disregard for Ghanaian lives.”

The date was also picked to commemorate the 26th Anniversary of the anti-government Kume Preko Demonstration of May 11, 1995 which was championed by President Akufo-Addo, Charles Wereko-Brobby, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Akoto Ampaw and Napoleon Abdulai.

The group indicated that they “do not intend to deliver a petition to the Presidency,” but will assemble at the Independence Square at 8:30am for the march to commence at 9:30am then disperse at 37 Maxmart