#OpenUGMC protester detained after stalking First Lady

A man has been detained by the Police after he appeared to be stalking the first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo with a placard protesting the failure of government to open the University of Ghana Medical Centre.

The suspect identified as Sekyi-Brown Reginald, according to Starr News’ Sefanam Agbogbli, who witnessed the incident, walked straight and stood beside the first lady who was addressing an audience at the Korle Bu hospital after she had gone to cut sod for the construction of the paediatric ICU Wednesday.

“While the first lady was delivering her speech on the sod cutting of the paediatric intensive care unit for the Korle bu teaching hospital, the young man popped up with a placard with the inscription “OPEN UGMC NOW”.

“He was then approached by a police officer to move away from the first lady because he stood right beside her to show her the placard.

“He resisted and was then forced to move from the scene. He was then being interrogated at the entrance of the children’s ward and was finally pushed into the building,” Sefanam narrated on the Starr Midday News.

It is unclear if the suspect is part of the University of Ghana students who are on a campaign for the facility to be opened.

Controversy over who has the right to manage the multi-million dollar edifice has left the facility closed for more than a year since it was constructed.

The 650-bed facility is the first of its kind in West Africa and second to only few hospitals in South Africa. The ultra-modern hospital was conceptualised and began under the Late President John Evans Atta-Mills. The Government secured a loan facility from Harpo Alim Bank of Israel for the project.