Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP, North Tongu
Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, the MP for North Tongu says, the Government of Ghana will not be forthright in preventing the protestors of #FixTheCountry from demonstrating today, May 9.
The online campaign was started by some youth in the country who planned to demonstrate on the streets of Accra and present their petition to the Akufo-Addo administration on general hardship in the country.
The Ghana Police Service secured a court injunction against the protest. The court ruled following a motion ex parte that the planned protest would not be able to come off until the restriction on public gatherings is lifted.
But speaking on Citi TV’s Big Issue, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said: “You invited them to have a talk with them and whilst that is going on, you go behind them and are in court with an ex parte injunction. All of that posturing smacks of bad faith.”
He added that the Akufo-Addo administration “cannot outwit the masses, especially the youth”.
Ablakwa stated further, “Let the state show good faith. Let us see a certain opening up and embracing approach to sit and listen and give measurable assurance that it is fixing it and responding to your needs. This is the time for very sober reflection.”
He then quizzed, “How do we in the political class ensure that we deliver the goods so that we do not erode the gains and people do not lose confidence totally?”
The conveners of the protest have meanwhile moved to challenge the injunction at the Supreme Court, but the court has fixed the hearing for next month, June 8.
The protesters now want to file an application for abridgement of time, and thus bring forward the hearing.