Ghanaians in Valencia Spain, today mounted a street protest under the auspices of the #FixTheCountry movement to demand better governance in Ghana.
Now-trending pictures show hundreds of Ghanaians in Spain wielding the Ghanaian flag and placards bearing messages of frustration about the governance lull in Ghana.
Some of the placards read: “Stop the Chinese loans and stop the generational debt”; “Ghana Embassy in Madrid’s prices of passport Ghana €250.”
Other placards took swipes at what they describe as bad leadership being exhibited by President Akufo Addo and his government. One placard cited the recent scandal where the Presidency abandoned the functioning Presidential Jet and opt for a super-luxurious private jet for the President’s recent nine-day trip to Europe and South Africa. The chartered plane cost Ghanaian taxpayers approximately US$ 15,000 per hour.
This demonstration promises to be the start of series of street protests by Ghanaians in the diaspora against the corrupt political status quo in the country.
It is coming on the heels of autocratic tactics being used by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and the judicial system to illegally stop thousands of Ghanaian youth in the #FixTheCountry demonstrating in Ghana.
The Police Service is currently in a High Court insisting on disallowing the angry youth from protesting against the subversive socio-economic conditions in the country. The Police has already lost one case against the #FixTheCountry group in the Supreme Court when it sought to slap a perpetual injunction on the planned protests of the group.
The Police Service is claiming any such protest by the youth movement would be a breach of the emergency legislation enacted to stop the spread of COVID-19 last year.
The restrictions prevent mass public gatherings, however, the Police had only selectively applied this rule as it has been caught several times looking the other way when government officials or ruling party loyalists breach the so-called restrictions.
Barely a week ago, President Akufo Addo, Vice President Bawumia, Chief Justice Kwasi Anim Yeboah, several high-ranking government officials and over 1000 people thronged to the funeral of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), the former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The mourners mashed up together were in blatant breach of the said COVID-19 restriction that the Police is invoking against the #FixTheCountry protests. The group has vowed to challenge the Police on its selective application of the law.