Kwesi Pratt, the renowned Ghanaian journalist, has predicted a demonstration spree to follow the just-ended #OCCUPPYBOGPROTEST.
According to him, more people will continue to take to the streets to express their revulsion hence the country should brace up.
He believes the demonstrations that will follow will be bigger.
“Mark it, it will happen. I have no doubt there will be a lot more demonstrations and bigger demonstrations. People are expressing their view their disgust at the things that are happening in the country. So there are going to continue, and we should brace ourselves up for a lot more demonstrations in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”
Kwesi Pratt
According to him, devasting hardships will continue to push people onto the streets to protest against the government.
“And there will be many more. Workers’ whose salaries have not been paid for some time, will demonstrate, the abuse of trade union rights, and will draw people onto the streets. It is possible that students will demonstrate against the conditions in our educational institutions and so on.
“The constantly increasing price of petroleum products will drive people onto the streets. The issues that will drive people onto the streets are many. The general insecurity in our country, bad roads, and the demonstrations over bad roads have started already. You saw the demonstration in Ashaiman, the massive demonstration.”
Kwesi Pratt
He mentioned a group that was planning to protest against the police.
Debunks Claims To Diffuse The Impact Of #OCCUPYBOGDEMO
Mr. Pratt debunked claims that participation was low at the OCCUPYBOGDEMO. He indicated that social media and television footage gave him affair idea that over 10,000 persons took part in the demonstration. Thus, he tagged anyone who attempted to suggest that only a few people took part as dishonest.
“We all saw the crowds, and I think that we have a fair sense of it to evaluate the numbers and so on. I think 10,000 people took part in the demonstration.”
Kwesi Pratt
Further on, he quizzed the essence of how many people took part in a demonstration. According to him, citizens need not engage in the number games but rather focus on the messages of the protestors.
“But does it even matter the number of people who took part in the demonstration? It is not all those who are disaffected who are frustrated who think something is wrong are on the street. The vast majority of those who are disaffected, disillusioned, and so on, don’t go on the street.
Usually, the people who go on the street are the most active people, most fired up. So this number game is a useless one and I think they should stop.”
Kwesi Pratt
He also rubbished claims that some head porters were paid to take part in the demonstration. According to Mr. Pratt all such conversations are ridiculous and steal the public’s attention from the central issues of the protesters.
“Let us admit that the “kayaye” (head porters) were paid to participate in the demonstration does it take away the fact that the people in this country are experiencing excruciating hardship? It does not take away that fact. Does it take away the fact that the Bank of Ghana is alleged to have mismanaged its side of the economy? It does not take away the fact that the Bank of Ghana made losses,. You and I think we should focus on the central issues and stop the childish game.”
Kwesi Pratt
Mr. Pratt added that such attitudes do not birth solutions to the many national challenges and urged the public to stay away from such.
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