The Accra Regional Police Command says the planned ‘Fix the Country’ demonstration cannot be held due to the imposition of restrictions on public gatherings and demonstrations.
Public Relations Officer for the Regional Police Command ASP Effia Tenge confirmed that they received a letter from the organizers over the planned protest.
However, the POlice she says cannot provide them with the protection they need due to the restrictions, and the organizers would be organizing the planned protest at their own risk.
According to her, the organizers have been formally informed in writing that their planned demonstration will not be possible.
She said the organizers cannot be given the protection until such a time that the country is assured that the Covid-19 would not be a threat.
ASP Tenge added that the organizers are yet to respond to the reply from the police.
She disclosed the Police would be forced to seek an injunction on the planned protest should the organizers defy the orders not to hold the protest.
When asked if the measures adopted by the organizers were not enough to ensure the protection of participants she said: ”we cannot guarantee that. There is no way we can guarantee for a fact that the demonstrating public is going to adhere to the safety protocol. We cannot also guarantee the safety of those who will participate in the demonstration”.
The group had served notice of the planned demonstration saying: the event is a “single-purpose” one, “is being organised on the back of a string of consistently broken promises by successive governments; and in the exercise of our democratic rights as citizens to express our frustration over perennial governmental incompetence, refusal, and/or inability to fix the country.”
The conveners of the demonstration include Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, Felicity Nelson, Efia Odo, Samuel Alesu-Dordzi, Della Russel Ocloo, Joshua Boye-Doe, Bashoratu Kamal-Muslim, Agyapong Forster, Adatsi Brownson, and Benjamin Darko.
The organisers said they believe, “as does the president, that democracy is not a spectator sport.”
It added: “We are committed to improving the substance of governance in this country by ensuring that the ordinary voices of Ghanaians provide a mechanism to hold elected officials accountable.”
“There comes a point where enough is enough. Just fix the Country!!! That’s our only message. We have had it with purposeful deceit and the absence of truth and genuine accountability in how this country is being governed,” the group said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com
