Demo Hits Mahama In London  

President Mahama and wife Lordina with Queen Elizabeth yesterday

Over 500 people belonging to a group calling itself Concerned Ghanaians in the United Kingdom, yesterday staged a demonstration against President John Mahama over what they described as the 'worsening economic conditions in Ghana.'

The demonstration was also to express their displeasure about President Mahama's comment that they were naïve and ill-informed about the real economic situation in Ghana, which they said was an obvious falsehood peddled by the President.

President Mahama is in the United Kingdom on a state visit and met Queen Elizabeth at the Buckingham Palace yesterday.

In an attempt to woo Ghanaian investors in the Diaspora to support the local economy, he said Ghanaian residents do not paint an accurate picture about the true state of the economy to their relatives abroad in order to get more money from them.

'Things are working in Ghana… if Ghanaian residents were to tell their relatives abroad that things were alright, they would not be encouraged to send them the token £100 and £200 they have been sending,' the President said.

Mahama added that Ghanaians paint a gloomy picture about the country's economy so that their relatives abroad would be inclined to bring in more money.

While critics attributed the fall of the cedi to government's poor management of the economy, President Mahama said it was the activities of some politicians.

“Politicians talking down on the cedi. Why would they do that?' he asked.

'I am proud to tell you things are going on well in Ghana. We had some challenges, especially with the cedi, but that was caused by speculators,' adding, “the bubble will burst and when it bursts, you will lose money.'

However, according to the Concerned Ghanaians in the UK, they felt insulted by the President's comments and were also not convinced by his arguments.

According to the Public Affairs Director of the group, Nana Ansah Obofour, they knew what was going on in Ghana because they visit home and listen to radio stations, and demanded an apology from the President for his attempts to 'mislead' them in his speech.

'We live in the UK but we know what is going on in Ghana…the economy, the IMF bailout and the 16.5 percent inflation.

'So for the President to come to the UK and tell us that we don't cross-check facts and we don't know anything in Ghana is unfortunate. So we think the President has insulted our intelligence and he must apologise, that is why we are protesting,' he said.

Nana Obofuor said the President must stop talking and work to fix the economy, stating, 'The talking is too much; and stop calling Ghanaians liars.”

In August, Ghanaians living in the United States demonstrated over the state of the economy when President Mahama arrived in that country for the US-Africa Leaders Summit.

According to them, 'The demonstration was to show our [Ghanaians abroad] expression of unhappiness about the hardship in Ghana and the mismanagement of the country.''

The recent Afrobarometer Round 6 Survey conducted by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) on the economic conditions in the country paints a gloomy picture about the Mahama administration.

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By Cephas Larbi