Alliance for Change Speaks Out

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE HISTORIC KUME PREKO MARCH We have called this conference to inform the nation about what actually happened yesterday in the course of our demonstration protesting the intolerably high cost of living in the country and the arbitrary imposition of the VAT. It is also to respond to the disinformation, distortions and outright lies, being peddled by the Rawlings regime about the demonstration through the state-controlled media.

We wish to state, from the very onset, that despite the casualties, the demonstration was a huge success. We take

this opportunity to express our thanks and deep appreciation to the good people of this country for their massive support and active participation. The mammoth numbers of participants, about 100,000, demonstrate beyond a shadow of doubt that Ghanaians are fed up with, and have rejected, the Rawlings regime. They are demanding a radical change in the status quo.

But even as we celebrate the great success of our protest march, we cannot forget the painful loss of innocent lives, caused by the cowardly and dastardly act of Rawlings and his cohorts. At least four persons have been killed, namely: Ahunu Hongar, 14; Kwabena Asante, 22; Jerry Opey, 25; and Richard Aminga, 43, as a result of attempts by hired and armed thugs of the Government operating under the name of the so called Association of CDRs, to disrupt and break up the demonstration. These hirelings, we have subsequently learnt, included members of the Forces Reserve Battalion (FRB), the personal goons of Rawlings, popularly known as "Commandos".

As every Ghanaian knows today, the ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE set out on, and indeed organised, a peaceful and lawful demonstration. As the Ghanaian Times newspaper issue of May 10, 1995 correctly stated, the Police were satisfied with the lawful and peaceful intentions of the organisers of the demonstration.

As far back as May 4, 1995, we had concrete information that Messrs Enoch Teye Mensah, NDC Minister for Youth & Sports, and Said Sinare, NDC Member of Parliament for Ayawaso Central, were organising thugs to disrupt our peaceful protest march. We duly informed the Police of these cowardly plots, and requested them to initiate immediate investigations into the matter and to take appropriate measures to provide security for the demonstration.

Demonstration Again, yesterday morning, before the demonstration began, we met the Police, specifically the Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, J. L. Abulu, and the Regional Commander of Police, Greater Accra, Joe Mprah, at the Regional Police Headquarters, where we learnt that bus loads of armed thugs were assembling at the Makola Market area to attack and disrupt the demonstration. ON the basis of this information, we agreed with the Police, there and then to alter the routing of our demonstration to avoid the armed thugs.

We are told that the members of the ACDRs were present to provide a human shield against looting by the demonstrators.

This is a crude lie. The ACDRs, to our knowledge is a private organisation which has no role whatsoever in the Security Services. Further, they had no right to be present at all. The Police made it clear that were the only ones who had complied with the Law, and thus were permitted to demonstrate along the agreed route.

The Police assured us that they would take the necessary measure to contain these lawless thugs and elements and, in fact, did an admirable job in that respect. Nonetheless, the hired thugs of the regime armed with cudgels, crowbars, acids, machetes and guns, assaulted the peaceful demonstrators around the UTC/Makola area. They shot, killed and injured several persons.

We wish to state categorically that we hold Rawlings and his NDC regime particularly E. T. Mensah, Said Sinare and Huudu Yaaha, fully and wholly responsible for these deaths. As concrete proof of our charges, we wish to inform you that, the Police have arrested at least four of these thugs in ACDR T-shirts, one of whom was arrested with a gun. It has been confirmed that he gun seized from this person is one issued to Unit 64 of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Heroes of Freedom To the bereaved families of the heroes of Freedom, Justice and Democracy, we say Damirifa Due, Damirifa Due, Damirifa Due. We mourn with you in your moment of anguish. Though it may not be adequate consolation, we pray that you take heart in the knowledge that a nation is built through the struggle and sacrifices of its people. It is our intention to join you to give them a fitting and deserving burial.

We call upon the Government to institute immediately an independent Commission of Enquiry, established in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, to investigate the circumstance surrounding the killings and the destruction of property, and to ensure that those responsible are made to face the full rigour of the Law. Compensation must also be paid to the bereaved families of the victims of the brutalities.

We hope that Parliament , which is being reconvened on Tuesday, May 16, 1995 will address the burning issues of the day, specifically the VAT and thigh cost of living, and will not lend itself to any attempt to curb the fundamental rights of the people.

What, then did this massive and popular demonstration achieve? Briefly, two vital thins. Firstly, the full extent of popular dissatisfaction with the present economic hardships engendered by NDC Government, has for the first time in the Fourth Republic, been graphically demonstrated.

Secondly, despite the intimidate and violence from official quarters, large numbers of Ghanaian are determined to exercise their fundamental rights as a way of improving the quality of their lives. Constitutional guarantees mean little, unless exercised. The process for deepening democracy continues.

We shall not relent, but shall continue to struggle until the noble aspirations of those who fell in the battle for improvements in the living standards of the people and the establishment of genuine democracy are achieved.

Let those who are cocooned in the colonial slave castle, surrounded by guns and Mowags, know that Ghanaians will not give up, until change is won.

Long live the spirit of those who fell fighting for change.

Long live Freedom and Justice

Long Live the Alliance for Change.

Long live the people of Ghana.

Issued and presented on Friday 12 May, 1995. Accra