KUMEPREKO march: Zero 21 years on

Preface
21 years ago today, the Alliance for Change (AFC) organised the KUMEPREKO march in Accra. It was then the largest public demonstration in the 4^th Republic of Ghana, with police estimates of over 100,000 demonstrators.

The reasons for the march are set out in the press release issued ahead of the event, and reproduced for historical purposes and reflection on the state of Oman Ghana today

PRESS RELEASE
KUME PRεKO MARCH: 11 MAY 1995
The standard of living of Ghanaians has been falling over the last 13 years or so as a result of the implementation of policies which have limited the people's access to social services, exacerbated the unemployment problem, hiked up prices and adversely affected the business climate.

Today, many able-bodied and hardworking Ghanaians cannot afford one decent meal a day for the family and the drop-out rate in our educational institutions is said to be rising at a very alarming rate.

A couple of months ago, about 50 children suffering from yaws were turned away from a government hospital in the Sekondi-Takoradi area because, their guardians could not afford the hospital fee of 500.00 each.

Perhaps the most gruesome of policy measures which has worsened the plight of the people of Ghana to unprecedented depths has been the recently introduced Value Added Tax (VAT). According to Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, Minister of Finance of the Rawlings regime, the introduction of VAT has led to price hikes of between 300 to 400 per cent (see Daily Graphic of April 20, 1995).

As part of the effort to draw attention to the sorry plight of the Ghanaian and to stimulate discussion on ways of resolving the multi-dimensional problems of the people, a peaceful demonstration will take place in Accra on May 11, 1995. The demonstration will begin from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle at 10.00 a.m., march on through the principal streets of the city and end at the Kinbu area with a rally.

The organisers of the demonstration, the Alliance for Change, are a group of responsible citizens drawn from the political parties and mass and social organisations in the country committed to improving the quality of life for all Ghanaians.

All Ghanaians are invited to participate in this historic event which is intended to contribute to the efforts being made to resolve the very urgent social and economic problems facing our country today.

Issued by: THE ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE
Organisers: Akoto Ampaw, Nana Akufo-Addo, Kweku Baako (Jnr.), Kakraba Cromwell, Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe, Victor Newman, Kweku Opoku, Kwesi Pratt (Jnr.),

Dr. C. Wereko-Brobby