Ghana irritates me very much - Ace Ankomah

 A private legal practitioner and leading member of the pressure group OccupyGhana, Ace Anan Ankomah, has indicated how the issues of this country affect him and why he resultantly advocates for social change.

 According to him, Ghana irritates him, so he gives up at some point, but the next moment he is back trying to find ways of making Ghana better.

"I have always stated my views; I have neither been shy to say what I think. I’m no shrinking violet, I don’t pull punches, and I don’t suffer foolishness gladly. I see a country that has so much, yet so little. It’s a painful thing to look at Ghana."

"Ghana irritates me very much. Every day, I give up on Ghana and the next day, I’m back still trying to see if we can make Ghana well. Every day I say let’s just give up, but sometimes I feel like let’s just forget it. It happens to me and I will say today I won’t bother myself with Ghana, in two hours I’m back writing something about Ghana, because this is Ghana".

He said one of the reasons he has toned down is that he decided to discipline himself and be circumspect in the way he handles issues regarding human advocacy.

"I can understand those who do not want to speak; it comes at a cost because everybody out there thinks they can insult you because you speak your mind. People say why don’t you speak too much of late?  I said I grew up and decided to discipline myself. You know me; I can pick a fight in an empty room. I don’t fear engaging in a fight with anyone. I can’t pull punches, so the best way to discipline myself is not to get involved at the human advocacy level. But I will do what l can through OccupyGhana," he noted.

He did, however, state that he will express himself through Occupy Ghana because they have had an impact in the country.

 "OccupyGhana has never organised a demonstration. We rather join other groups’ demonstrations. The beginning of OccupyGhana was very rough. In one day, two members had acid on their car tires. People said you guys if you go on the streets, we will teach you a lesson. They said they would do a Morgan Tsvangirai out of you [us]–The Zimbabwean opposition leader who was beaten.

"After the demonstrations, what next? So we decided to carry the battle to an intellectual level, and that has evolved. We realised that we don’t have to be on the streets, organise press conferences, speak to radio stations to make an impact anymore."

 "We decided to write; I do a lot of writing, and I’m never tired. I spend two hours every day doing OccupyGhana work. I tell my friends in government: I can follow you like a demon, I follow them, and we harass them. Sometimes we sit back and we are amazed at the things we have achieved by just writing letters," citinewsroom.com added.

 NYA/WA