Ghanaians call for civil disobedience

“God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong, bold to defend forever, the cause of freedom and of right; Fill our hearts with true humility; Make us cherish, fearless, honesty, and help us to resist oppressors' rule with all our will and might for evermore.”

These were the quotes by the leadership of a group calling itself Concerned Ghanaians in the persons of Akwasi Twumasi Ankra, Ofei Dei Goodfellow and Atick Yakubu and copied to Today in Accra yesterday.

The group in the statement noted that Ghanaians were welcomed into the New Year with an inexorable rise in the cost of basic essentials of life, adding that government’s wanton increments in tariffs and taxes has struck Ghanaians, both home and abroad, with the yoke of increased financial burdens.

It stated that the cost of electricity, water and fuel has risen sharply coupled with the introduction of new taxes, resulting in overall increase of 154%.

According to the statement, since June 2014, the price of a barrel of oil had seen a steep decline with a present price of US$35 per barrel.

It pointed out that the two questions which come to mind are: “how”? and “why”? did the government acquiesce to a 27% increase, as sanctioned by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)?

The statement asserted that a government that actually cared about its people should have intervened to take corrective action.

Rather, it averred that the government visited upon her people with “its illogical back-breaking burden.”

“Fellow Ghanaians, it is important to note that the current situation in the country can be likened to the days of the colonial era – an era which saw our forefathers rise up to resist oppression and struggled for our independence,” it averred.

It stated that with their toil and bloodshed, adding that “we gained our liberty as a people”.

The only difference between now and then, the statement explained, was “this oppression by a government elected by the people.”

“And like our forefathers, we all have a moral responsibility to resist oppression in all forms. Indeed we are called to duty by our national anthem. Guided by the national anthem, the group called for a nationwide action of civil disobedience,” the statement said.

The statement believed positive defiance was the only way to get government to pay attention to the plight of the masses.

It said a government that does not listen does not deserve the obedience of its laws.