Dumsor must stop vigil part 2: We’ll choose how we demonstrate and who to partner – Franklin Cudjoe replies Yvonne Nelson

IMANI Africa's President, Franklin Cudjoe, has reaffirmed the think tank's stance against yielding to pressure to stage a protest against the NPP government concerning the ongoing power outages, known as dumsor.

This follows actress Yvonne Nelson's call for the think tank to collaborate with her in organising another protest, reminiscent of the one held in 2015.

Reacting to Ms Nelson’s call, however, Mr Cudjoe emphasised that IMANI Africa would carry out their protest on their own terms.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, 23 April 2024, Mr Cudjoe disclosed IMANI's preparedness to rally against the persistent dumsor crisis.

He stated: “We have heard the call by the redoubtable Ms. Yvonne Nelson for round two of #dumsormuststop. Fair call even as we (IMANI) have maintained our criticism of government's bad decisions for what often seem like a rudderless leadership, the latest dumsor episodes being the zenith. So as you can see (T-shirts), we are preparing and we will make the call and choose how we demonstrate and who we want to partner at the right time.”

Mr Cudjoe also extended an invitation to individuals who share their grievances to organise their own demonstrations.

“Meanwhile, others can also organise their own unique protests in churches, mosques, bars, schools and home. #DUMSORMUSTSTOP Kofi Bentil Selorm Branttie Bright Simons,” Mr Cudjoe wrote.

The actress’s call comes amidst recent intermittent power outages, prompting demands from many Ghanaians for a load-shedding timetable from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

In a post on X on Monday, 22 April 2024, Ms Nelson expressed her anticipation for IMANI's involvement in the vigil, reminiscent of the organisation's participation in a similar event in 2015.

She criticised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing them of taking the country for granted and emphasising that such neglect should not be tolerated any longer.

Ms Nelson wrote: "Imani Ghana, can we organise another vigil? I've been waiting for you to reach out like you did years back. (your team made our demo a success) I'm reaching out myself. The NPP and its leadership @NAkufoAddo have taken Ghanaians for granted."

The year 2015 saw severe power cuts in Ghana, leading to widespread frustration among citizens.

The actress spearheaded a massive protest against the John Mahama-led-government over the erratic power supply.

The policy think tank, played a significant role in the success of the 2015 protest.

Their involvement helped mobilise support for the cause, uniting numerous Ghanaian celebrities and citizens affected by the power cuts.

The 2015 vigil shed light on the impact of power cuts on daily life in Ghana and provided a platform for citizens to voice their discontent with the situation.

-classfmonline