President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has stated that his think tank will not yield to pressure to organize a demonstration against the government over the ongoing power outages, known as “dumsor.”
He emphasized that IMANI will conduct their protest at their own pace, and individuals who share their grievances are welcome to organize their demonstrations.
This response comes after actress Yvonne Nelson called for IMANI to join her in organizing another demonstration, reminiscent of the one held in 2015.
Yvonne Nelson’s call came amidst recent intermittent power outages, with many Ghanaians clamoring for a load-shedding timetable from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
In her post on X on Monday, April 22, Ms. Nelson expressed her readiness for IMANI’s outreach for the vigil, citing the organization’s involvement in a similar event in 2015.
She criticized President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing them of taking the country for granted and emphasizing that such neglect should no longer be tolerated.
However, Mr. Cudjoe, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 23, responded sharply, stating that IMANI will choose partners for their protest, and Yvonne Nelson is free to organize her demonstration.
“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 the government’s bad decisions for what often seems 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.”
“Meanwhile, others can also organise their own unique protests in churches, mosques, bars, schools and homes.”
