Senior Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Kofi Bentil, has voiced concerns about the potential for violent protests among Ghanaian youth, drawing parallels to recent unrest in Kenya.
He emphasized the crucial role of government response in shaping such behaviors and outlined specific measures Ghana must take to prevent similar occurrences.
Speaking on JoyNews’ News File, Bentil referenced the recent protests in Kenya, which were ignited by proposed tax hikes amid escalating living costs.
The Kenyan government’s actions led to widespread public outrage, resulting in numerous arrests and casualties. Civil society groups reported at least 283 detentions and over 20 deaths since the protests began on June 25.
In response to the public outcry, the Kenyan government amended the controversial bill, suspending a 16% VAT on bread and a 2.5% tax on motor vehicles.
Bentil noted that while Ghana has generally managed to avoid such severe unrest, it is crucial not to overlook the possibility of similar events occurring.
He cited the example of former Ghanaian leader Jerry John Rawlings, who unexpectedly rose to power through a coup. Bentil stressed that the current generation of Ghanaian youth has not experienced military rule and urged the government to recognize and adapt to changing circumstances.
“Ghana or our government has actually been one of the better examples, but we should not gloss over the issue that this thing can happen here. Rawlings is an example here. Nobody knew him till he burst out and took over the whole country,” Bentil remarked.
To avert potential unrest, Bentil outlined several key actions for the next parliament:
- Elect District Chief Executives (DCEs): Ensuring that DCEs are elected rather than appointed to enhance accountability.
- Eliminate Ministerial Appointments from Parliament: Cancelling the law that allows ministers to be taken out of parliament, which Bentil argues breeds corruption.
- Conduct a Constitutional Review: Collaborating with the executive branch to review and update the constitution.
- Repeal Article 71: Removing provisions that grant ex gratia payments to certain public officials, which Bentil believes contributes to public dissatisfaction.
“We are driving this country to the point where the youth have no option,” Bentil stated.
Mr Bentil concluded with a cautionary note, urging policymakers to heed these warnings and take proactive measures to address the concerns of the youth.
“The warnings should be heeded. However, the people sounding the warning, be careful what you pray for,” he added.