Over the weekend, the capital of one of Africa’s most stable democracies echoed with the chants of citizens rallying against a government they accused of corruption and gross mismanagement. In Accra, Ghana’s nerve center, hundreds of people heeded the call of the Democracy Hub, a non-partisan, non-aligned civic organization, embarking on a three-day protest against the prevailing poor socioeconomic conditions in the country. A insightful report detailed the event.
Lana Osei, a correspondent for JURIST in Ghana and recent law graduate of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, captured the dynamics of the protest. Led by Oliver Barker-Wormawor, the Democracy Hub had informed the Accra Regional Police Headquarters of their intention to exercise their constitutional right to protest as preordained by the country’s constitution and the Public Order Act (Act 491).
The demonstrators implored the President and members of the Economic Management Team to salvage the country from the throes of economic mismanagement and alleged theft loopholing from the apex of the government. Besides economic issues, the protestors rejected the proposed military intervention in Niger and took issue with several of the current government’s policy decisions and initiatives. These events and sentiments were carried under the hashtag #OccupyJulorbiHouse, which amassed over a million posts on the platform once known as Twitter.
The day before the protest, the police filed for an injunction against it. Responding to this, the conveners issued a press release stating that the mere filing of an application does not inhibit the exercise of a constitutional right. Nonetheless, the police detained 49 protestors on the first day of the demonstration, accusing them of unlawful assembly under the Criminal Offenses Act (Act 29).
In an exclusive interview with JURIST, Lawyer Prince Ganaku, who aided bail for protestors during the first day, clarified a critical aspect of the situation. He argued that the police were misled by a flawed understanding of contempt law when they sought to abort the protest by submitting an application a day prior, believing that it would give them grounds to make arrests for contempt, but contempt can only be penalised via a court order.
According to the report, such actions by the Ghana police demonstrate their aggressive approach to disrupting lawful assemblies. It also raises concerns about the shifting dynamic of the country’s democracy, which is stained by unending scandals and a political climate focussed more on personal gain than the rule of law or basic human decency. This leaves many wondering if the robustness of Ghana’s democracy is just a facade or if the clamour of the disgruntled Ghanaian generation will eventually bring significant change to the political landscape.