Members of the pressure group, Concerned Ghanaians (CG), will today meet the police over modalities for their impending demonstration scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2015 dubbed, ‘Dumsor demo.’
The demonstration, which has been slated to coincide with the 58th anniversary celebration of Ghana’s independence, is against the energy (power) crisis that has beset the nation, and taking a negative toll on productivity.
Spokesman for the group, Atick Yakubu, who confirmed the scheduled meeting with the police, said he and his colleagues would meet the leadership of the police by 10am this morning for talks.
This was after they had sent a letter notifying the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander of their intention to hold a peaceful demonstration on Independence Day.
“Three days after we sent them the notice, I received a call from one Superintendant Asiedu on Friday, February 6, who said they had received our letter addressed to the national headquarters so he wanted us to come for a meeting on Monday for the modalities of the demonstration. So we are preparing to meet them,” he told DAILY GUIDE.
Power distributors, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have started implementing a 24-hour power rationing programme which is having a telling effect on individuals, businesses and industries, thereby affecting productivity.
Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor, has promised to end the energy crisis by the end of the year 2015, even though similar promises by President Mahama had failed to materialize.
The situation is so unpredictable that the Public Relations Manager of ECG, William Boateng, has asked Ghanaians not to expect a regular timetable for the load shedding since it could not be followed holistically due to shortfalls.
Meanwhile, ‘dumsor’ branded T-shirts for the impending demonstration have started selling like hot cake on the market, with varieties still emerging.
Other pressure groups, including OccupyGhana (OG), the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), have all endorsed the intention of Concerned Ghanaians and have indicated their readiness to participate in the protest when the time comes.
Aside endorsing the move, the main opposition political party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), has also said it is planning a similar demonstration on February 18, 2015.
