Vigil, Demonstration & Protest Are Individual And Constitutional Right Of Every Citizen

Now that the vigil to highlight the energy and power outages is over, am going to draw a tall list of government officials, functionaries and communicators and aspiring Members of Parliament, who made various remarks about the constitutional right and civic responsibility of the actors and actresses to draw attention of the government about the problems the power outages was causing in Ghana. The country is presently enduring a serious power outages and rationing, that has been around for over three years.

It started with the President, followed by Presidential Staffer, Alhaji Halidu Haruna, the Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor. former Local Government Minister, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo,Former Eastern Regional Deputy Minister, former Chief of Staff under Rawlings administration Ato Dadzie, NDC Parliamentary aspirant, Gilbert Aggrey popularly known as Abeiku Santana, former deputy Ashanti Regional deputy Minister Yamin, NYA boss Ras Mubarak, Appiah Stadium, Deputy general secretary, Koku Anyidoho, and Board chairman of VRA and former Ambassador Lee Ocran.

All of these political heavy weights trying to deem the dumsor vigil unpopular , unnecessary and worthless, just because a few Ghanaians were trying to exercise their constitutional right. Its a shame . Silence is golden they say. it would have done the government a lot of good , maintain its image ,if they had kept their silence instead of the various interpretation and the blame game. Rather reassuring citizens that it was working around the clock to bring relief to Ghanaians

I also have no doubt or question in my mind, that the attacks on Lydia Forson and Yvonne Nelson among others, the organisers of the dumsor vigil, had official blessing because of the various comments from these politicians some of whom have been in the game for years and should have known, better.

Ghanaians should learn to stand up against government programs that affect every individual regardless of your party colors, tribe , region or affiliation. The power outages which has been going on for almost three years, has no end in site except unnecessary lies and deceit by leaders of government ,ministers of state, with government communicators who are clueless about issues, but defend the indefensible. The deceit started with the sector Minister, Dr Donkor, who blatantly told Ghanaians about inefficient engineers of the Volta River Authority as the main cause of the dumsor, followed by his deputy ,John Abdulai Jinapor that the government was expecting two power barges from Turkey to augument the power supply when in fact he knew too well the Turkey company has no emergency services for the barges .

When the truth came out after a parliamentary select committee on energy and expects travelled to Turkey to find out the progress of the barges they heard with their own ears that , the company did not promise the government of Ghana delivery in April 2015. I believe if Ghana were practicing true democracy both the minister and his deputy would have done the honorably thing by resigning for deceit.

I have very strong reason for refusing to call any member of Parliament honorable because they look at national issues in party colors. Some of the members of parliament were members of the select committee that went to Turkey to follow up on the barges and were privileged to the truth but kept mute when Ghanaians were being told lies about the barges

Am really at the loss, about how long ago since Ghanaians lost their right to express their view or opinion about circumstances or issues that affect them directly.

Am not the biggest fun of the recent Ghanaian musicians and actors because they are just dramatic and they are not role models for the society at large.

So recently when I read about Yvonne Nelson, Lydia Forson and Sarkodie, championing a campaign to call attention of the government to the suffering of Ghanaians as a result of the power outages known in local dialect as Dumsor, I applauded them that at least they are performing their civic responsibility.

Then entered government machinery influencing the planned dumsor vigil. Government should be mindful that Ghanaians are aware of the machination and politicking of government functionaries to ensure that the planned vigil of these musicians and actors never saw the day light. Maybe, unknown to government the power outages is affecting majority of Ghanaians and people know their circumstances better than they need told.

The Ga Traditional Council I believe were compromised to hold a hurriedly arranged press confab to kick against the vigil when most of them have been sleeping in darkness for years and in slum. I think the Ga Council should call a press conference to tackle the fifth that has engulfed the city, school drop out ,teenage pregnancy among others. Rather they should hold press conference to ask for a public library well stock, clinics, decent places of convenience, clean the city of Accra which is an sore to any foreign visitor, request for proper demarcation of the lands they are selling indiscriminately to 10 individuals.

As for the Ghana Police, they are very pathetic , their objectivity and neutrality has been sold to the government of the day. Am very confident the manner an NDC communicator, Appiah Stadium's an individual of questionable character, line was traced as the line who was making very derogatory comments and insulted the Yvonne Nelson for daring to organized a dumsor vigil, the police should have investigated the issue because that was violation of her individual right . I strongly believe they would have done that for the party in power.. Am expressing my disgust as a Ghanaian and anyone reading this article can put me in any colors because I have complained about dumsor and treatment been meted out to individuals who are championing a cause. Appiah Stadium has been in the news for all the wrong reasons and therefore the police should have a propably cause to call him to order, rather he boldly said Yvonne was using him to achieve popularity. This is sickening .

Therefore am still trying to find out why government functionaries are insulting these poor girls whose only crime, is they want to organize a vigil to raise more awareness about the effect of the power outages have on Ghanaians, the economy and the society at large to the extent that a pastor recently joked that it was affecting even church offering. Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has cut back on transmission times, businesses are laying off workers, citizens are dying at the various rural clinics who depend on some power for some essential and emergency medical services. So what else are these people in party colors defending.

It started with a presidential staffer and NDC Communicator, Halidu Haruna who wrote on his facebook wall to called Yvonne Nelson and Lydia Forson in unprintable names , describing them as doing the dirty job of the opposition leader, though later, he openly apologized for his uncivilized utterances, but he is still at the presidency and these are some of the comment Prof Kwesi Yankah and these same irresponsible and indiscipline communicators took him to the cleaners.

Then came the turn of the chief executive of National Youth Authority Ras Mubarak who at a point was scheming to become a member of Parliament and minister of information under the late Atta Mills. His comments even offended the colors he was trying to defend ,while he made dirty remarks about Yvonne Nelson for trying to organized a dumsor vigil. The last time I checked all the persons championing the vigil are born and bread Ghanaians who have equally right to express their opinion about their circumstances and any issues that affect them. I don't believe we are under a gauge order not to express ourselves. This is pathetic and insane. Anytime a citizen expresses him or her self about any wrong doing of government these educated unmannered government functionaries would not look at the merits of the issue but jump to the defense of the colors they are wearing. Is it not a fact that Ghana's economy is ill with institutionalized corruption, mismanagement , politicians who have not worked a day in their lives become millionaires over night and lord over the citizens. I never respected any Ghanaian politician during my years as a journalist, because they have questionable lifestyle which their income can NEVER support .

At least Ras Mubarak has also written to apologized for his comments. What an embarassment

The deputy scribe of NDC Koku Anyidoho is telling Ghanaians that Yvonne Nelson and co are championing the vigil out of anger to get at government. This is a very irresponsible statement from him. Actually he does not surprise me ,because as a presidential spokesperson for Atta Mills, he goofed many times with irresponsible comments and even as an editor for one of the rented press his publications are outrageous.

In America parties comments about issues not personality or party colors. The president Barrack Obama has come out with policies his own party democrats have fought against it. This is a civic society in which individual right are not infringed upon with a small issue like a vigil.

Are these government communicators and functionaries indicating that citizens are not allowed to express their opinion and circumstances no matter .

A few Ghanaians who are bold are been trampled upon instead of hearing their cry and give them assurances for their misery and suffering .Ghanaians need role models and politicians, who are humble, respectful, discipline, selfless and tolerant leaders who would not insult citizens for expressing their view and opinions. Vigil, demonstration and protest are a constitutional right and not a privileged