A group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Ghana have written a letter to the Ghana Police Service to lawfully request for a permit to stage a peaceful demonstration at the office of the Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia.
The one-page letter, which was intercepted by Republic Press, titled “Request to Picket at the Office of the Vice President,” reads in part “In compliance with the Public Order Act (491) 1994, I wish to notify your office of a planned Peaceful Picketing at the office of the Vice President of Ghana, on Friday, October 28, 2022.”
The letter explains that “This peaceful demonstration is intended to call the attention of the Vice President of Ghana to the extreme economic hardships Ghanaians are going through and demand for solutions for same.”
“As required by the law, your protection will be welcome to ensure that lives and properties are protected,” the letter noted.
Ghana is currently grappling with high debt and a depreciating local currency.
Ghana is again seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to enable the country to meet its payments to the rest of the world and restore the health of government finances.
It is the second time in the past three years and 17th since independence in 1957 that Ghana has turned to the IMF for help.
The request to IMF also underscores the fact that Ghana has much deeper structural economic problems.
These require a multi-stakeholder approach to resolve.
