Ghanaian Hip-Hop artiste, Jason Gaisie, popularly known as Pappy Kojo, has stated that his attendance at the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstrations was in support of his Ghanaian friends and not himself.
Disclosing this in an interview on TV3’s New Day show, Pappy Kojo implied that his privilege exempts him from the hardships of Ghana as his Italian heritage made him immune to the hardships in the country; thus, his attendance at the protest was just in support of his friends.
“I'm an Italian. I'm from Italy… The Italian embassy is like my second home when I'm in Ghana, so I just went there for my Ghanaian friends. I'm a loyal friend,” he said.
When asked if he achieved the aim for which he attended the protest, Pappy Kojo affirmed, stating, “Yeah, I think I did enough. Because I remember when, during the lockdown, when I was stuck in Italy, no one was protesting for me, right? Yeah. So I feel like I did enough,”
The three-day #OccupyJubileeHouse protest organised from September 21 to 23 saw scores of youth gather to voice their frustrations over rising costs of living and the economic crisis gripping the country. Protesters also cited issues like poor healthcare, human rights abuses, and the controversial anti-LGBTQ bill tabled in Parliament.
The first day was marked by clashes as police tried to disperse crowds by arresting a number of them, an act that brought international attention.
The subsequent days saw a number of celebrities, including Stonebwoy, Pappy Kojo, Kwaw Kesse, and Kelvyn Boy, lend their support to the cause.
Watch the video below
I was at the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest for my Ghanaian friends and not myself because I am from Italy - @PAPPYKOJO#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/B3EaHBooUS
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) November 29, 2023