The Economic Fighters League staged what they called Kum Me Prɛko or the “Ku Me Prɛko Reloaded” demonstration in Accra today (5 November 2022), over 25 years since the original Ku Me Prɛko demonstration took place.
The “Ku Me Prɛko Reloaded” protest was meant to pile pressure on President Akufo-Addo and Vice- President Mahamudu Bawumia to step down from office over the current global economic crisis, which has had an obvious effect on Ghana’s economy.
However, today’s “Ku Me Prɛko Reloaded” failed to match up in numbers to its predecessor “Ku Me Prɛko” demonstration, which attracted an estimated 100,000 people.
Social media commentators and media personnel who took part and reported on developments during the march said that it was generally peaceful, with just a handful of people turning out.
The 1995 demo
The nine men at the forefront of the 1995 demonstration were Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (the present President of the Republic), Charles Wereko Brobbey, Kwasi Pratt Jnr, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako, Akoto Ampaw, Victor Newman, Kwaku Opoku and Napoleon Abdulai.
The 1995 protest was motivated by the high cost of living during the tenure of President Jerry John Rawlings, and particularly by the imposition of value added tax (VAT) on retail items.
However, what started as a peaceful protest on Thursday 11 May 1995 turned bloody when unidentified assailants opened fire on the demonstrators.
At least four people died in the attacks and many more sustained severe injuries.
Run-up to the Reloaded demo
Addressing the media in the lead-up to today’s demonstration, Martin Kpebu, the private legal practitioner and convenor of “Ku Me Prɛko Reloaded”, declared that Ghana’s constitution allows ample room for the country to conduct elections smoothly if a president and vice-president resign from office.
“We have a duty, as stated in Article 41 [of the constitution], to ask the president to resign,” said Kpebu. “And this is not the first time the president of Ghana is going to resign.
“In actual fact, in the Sixties General Ankrah resigned over a matter of GHC6,000 that he is alleged to have used to bribe somebody to organise an opinion [poll] so that he can be declared as the most popular [sic] president in Ghana.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, where we are as of now in Ghana, the situation is so dire that the best thing is for President Akufo-Addo to take responsibility and resign with his vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia,” Kpebu said.
“Indeed, the constitution has envisaged this situation. That’s why it has been provided in Article 66 that the president may resign from office. The vice-president may resign as well.
“So Article 66 says the president may just give his resignation letter to the Speaker of Parliament.
“People of Ghana, let’s not despair,” Kpebu said. “When Akufo-Addo and Bawumia resign you will be amazed how the international community will welcome this new development. [And] that our democracy has been strengthened,” the lawyer said.
Long route
The converging point for the demonstration was the popular Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.
The demonstrators marched along 28 February Road to Farisco Junction, moved on to Accra Technical University, went up Liberia Road and ended their protest at Black Star Square.
Wilberforce Asare
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