The Ghana Police Service has expressed its intent to meet convenors of the FixTheCountry Movement following its decision to protest on Friday, November 26, 2021.
According to the Police, the meeting with the Movement leaders is scheduled to take place on Monday, November 22, 2021 at the Greater Accra Regional Police Headquarters. Contained in a letter signed by the Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP E.A Sakyi, the Police explained that the meeting is to engage the movement on their planned protest.
“… The Command would like to meet the conveners at the Regional Headquarters… at 10:00 am prompt for further deliberations that will lead to peaceful demonstrations”.
DCOP E.A Sakyi
Prior to this, the convenors of the FixTheCountry Movement had issued a statement that sought to notify the law enforcement agency about their intentions to protest on the street. It explained that the leaders of the social advocacy group considered certain aspects of the 2022 Budget “ridiculous”, hence its need and decision to resent it.
The convenors remarked that the 2022 Budget is laced of “purposeful deceit” and “the absence of truth and genuine accountability”, a phenomenon the group reckoned it will not tolerate. Following this, they implore the 275 legislators to as a matter of fact reject the 2022 Budget estimates which were tabled before Parliament on November 17.
“The protest is to register our displeasure at the ridiculous proposals of the 2022 Budget and demand Parliament not to approve the Budget in its current form,” the statement said.
Fix The Country Monvement
Fix The Country Movement to protest against budget 2022
Relaying the blueprint of the protest, the group explained that the protest is expected to commence from the Tema Station in Accra, near the National Hockey Stadium, after which the protestors will progress to the grounds of the Parliament House.
Members of the #FixTheCountry Movement also requested the presence of well-meaning individuals and the media to rally behind their intended demonstration and accord them the needed support.
Following the 2022 budget reading by the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta on Wednesday, November 17, awaiting approval from Parliament, there have been strong opposition from some stakeholders who reckon the budget a total nonstarter.
Among the vital points Ghanaians are calling on government to have a critical look at is the e-levy transaction fee pegged at 1.75% for senders of mobile money.
That notwithstanding, a group calling itself Fixing the Country Movement has lauded the Akufo-Addo’s administration in “fixing the country” and by extension the 2022 budget, which seems to be in sharp contrast to dominant opinions in the country.
Convenor for the Movement, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah disclosed despite claims of the 2022 budget’s tendency to foment untold hardship on Ghanaians, it only reveals that the current government is addressing the challenges facing Ghanaians.
Mr Bempah emphasized that the budget is focused on expanding on Ghana’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as creating a climate-friendly entrepreneurial state to address unemployment and import substitution.
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