A female participant in the recently concluded #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest organized by Democracy Hub and concerned citizens, Naseebah, did not mince her words when criticizing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, branding him as the “most ineffective president to date.”
During an emotionally charged interview with JoyNews, Naseebah voiced her deep-seated frustration with the state of affairs in Ghana, with a particular focus on the hardships faced by the country’s youth and the ailing healthcare system.
Naseebah’s anger resonated through her words as she painted a stark picture of the dire circumstances confronting many Ghanaians. She recounted the heart-wrenching story of a dedicated teacher who had devoted more than three decades of his life to public service, only to tragically lose his son due to an inability to cover the GH¢400 weekly cost of dialysis treatment.
In addition to this, she leveled allegations at the government, accusing it of misappropriating funds on frivolous expenses while pressing issues continued to plague the nation. Naseebah raised pertinent questions about the government’s priorities, particularly in light of the heavy tax burden on citizens and the ever-rising cost of living.
“I am very angry, I am angrier this morning, people are dying each day, and the dialysis machine in Korle Bu got spoilt, do you know the number of people who died? A 24-year-old boy died this morning; the father is a teacher and over thirty years of his life in the service could not afford dialysis of GH¢400 a week. What do you mean? Do you know how much taxes they charge us every day, the cost of living in this country but you bring flowers to celebrate your daughter’s birthday, you bring a cake to celebrate E-Levy.”
On the final day of the three-day #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstrations, protesters made an attempt to breach a police barricade late into the night with the aim of marching towards the presidential residence.
This move came despite the unlawful detentions and heavy-handedness displayed by the police on Day 1, during which they arrested 49 protesters, who were subsequently held for hours on charges of unlawful assembly. Eventually, all of them were released on bail.
Days 2 and 3 transpired with minimal incidents as the police maintained a barricade on the main road leading to the presidential residence, Jubilee House, even before the protesters commenced their march towards the location.
While Day 2 involved the blockage of one section of the 37-Accra Road, the final day saw both sides blocked, significantly impeding vehicular traffic for a considerable portion of the day.