The vigil of stars
to be convened to protest the worsening energy crisis plaguing the country,
otherwise known as dum-so, has generated more than its fair share of
controversy. Since the last two weeks, it has become a national issue.
Spearheaded by actress Yvonne Nelson, and reinforced by her colleagues
in the creative industry, the vigil slated for Saturday, May 16, 2015 is
essentially a walk from the Legon down towards the Accra Mall area. Organisers
duly notified the police.
Unfortunately, reactions to the vigil took disturbing dimensions.
Uncouth statements by a former Presidential staffer, who labelled key figures
behind the planned protest prostitutes on account of their single status,
triggered a rage of public outcry. Leading protagonists of the vigil had also
received phone threats. The Ga Traditional Council’s appeal to the police to
stop the event because of the annual ban on drumming and noisemaking ahead of
the Homowo festival, gave weight to allegations of behind-the-scene
maneuverings by the power that be to stop the vigil in its track.
Freedom of expression – including freedom to gather as a group, is an
inalienable human right, guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. This
vigil is not the first demonstration to happen in Ghana. There had been several
politically-charged demonstrations across Ghana in the past. The stars vigil,
however, is devoid of any political undertone. It is principally a social
protest against the prevailing dum-so order that has paralysed socio-economic
activities across the country.
Weekend Sun believes
it is wrong for individuals or groups to try to disrupt or prevent the protests
from taking place. Peaceful protests are a feature of a healthy democracy, an
avenue for the citizenry to tell government their grievances. For government,
protests are looking glasses to see the deep flaws in the system, to better
understand the yearnings of the people and to get a valuable insight as to how
to better serve the people. It should not be misconstrued as a tool to
discredit the government. Ghana as the bastion of democratic governance on the
African continent should continue to be a leading example.
The organisers of
the vigil and those who would join in the procession are duty-bound to ensure
that the protest does not degenerate.
Protests such as this weigh the tolerance level of government and people
in government. It shows a society’s level of understanding of the dynamics of
democracy. Protest should, as this must, be seen in its proper context - as the
‘voice of the people” that government must listen to.
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