NPP to demonstrates against high utility tariffs August 22

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has scheduled a demonstration on August 22, 2016 in Tamale, the Northern Regional Capital to further press on government to reduce electricity tariffs by half.

In a statement issued and signed by Regional Secretary Sule Salifu, it stated that government risk incurring their anger if a week after the demonstration it fails to heed to their concerns.

“Reduce electricity prices by at least 50% within one week or face the full force of the anger of the people of the Northern Region”, it threatened.

According to the statement, the government of President John Dramani Mahama continues to put the people of the North through the immeasurable hardships.

Read full statement below:

“REDUCE ELECTRICITY PRICES BY AT LEAST 50% WITHIN ONE WEEK OR FACE THE FULL FORCE OF THE ANGER OF THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN REGION”.

The President and his government have completely refused to respond to our request. We even relaxed our demands, and waited 48 days and 48 nights and not even an invitation to meet the Regional political heads to sit down and discuss these matters that affect every household and business in the Northern Region, like access to reliable and affordable electricity.

It was the first time in recent history that the opposition parties here came together to speak with one voice. To ignore our collective voice, is to ignore the voice of the people; and to ignore that is to show absolute disdain and intolerance for the opposition political parties here.

In fact, President Dramani Mahama chose to ignore the cry of the people completely when he visited the Region last month. He never once spoke on the killer tariffs and its related consequences. He has shown more evidence than necessary that he simply does not care about the fact that more and more people here are struggling just to put a single meal on the dining table for the family.

We told you the President does not care for the people of the North. By refusing to respond, the President has also dished out to all the opposition parties the arrogance of power syndrome: he simply cannot give a hoot about us.

But, we are determined to show to the whole world that President Mahama and his government cannot continue to take us for granted and treat the people of the North as if we are only good for votes. For every three people who may agree with the President, we can count on at least 7 more who are sick and tired of the lies, deception, unemployment, rising cost of living, lack of irrigation, bad roads, and the institutionalised version of stealing from the coffers of the state.

After 48 days of silence to a an ultimatum that should have lapsed July 6, we are, therefore, left with no choice but to take the next tactical step. That step, ladies and gentlemen, is to declare that exactly a week today, Monday 22nd August, all the main opposition parties here in the North, will be joined by some of our leaders and supporters across the country, to join hands with the suffering workers, employers, youth, unemployed people, mothers and many more from the North to stage a peaceful, nonviolent protest against the hardships and direction Mr Mahama is putting us through. We have, as the law requires, put the police on notice.

We intend to organize a mega, non-violent protest to send a clear message to President Mahama that “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” The demonstration is called Di Miiya. The Dagbani for “times are tough”.

Given this regrettable and of course worrying reality of the state of the Northerner, when youth employment is not working the youth of the North is worse affected, when allowances of nursing and teacher training colleges are withdrawn the students of the North are worse affected, when the prices of petroleum products are ridiculously high the people of the north are worse affected and indeed, when the prices of electricity are not only high but seemingly criminally charged the people of theNnorth are the worse affected.

Our people are being made poorer and poorer by the policies of a ruling party that has taken the North for granted for far so long.

This demonstration is for everyone who is hard hit by the high prices of electricity and the general hardship caused by the disastrous governance of this NDC administration. Feel free to come and join us. It is about you, it is for you and it is from you to the powers that may be… at least for now.

We are determined to have a memorable, but incident-free demonstration. Zogbeli Block “B” football park is the designated convergence point.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, thank you for coming.

Thank you

……. SIGNED……..

SULE SALIFU

REGIONAL SECRETAR