Greater than 1,000 protesters marched via Ghana’s capital Accra on Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo amid an financial disaster that has hammered the cedi forex and seen gasoline and meals prices spiral to file ranges.
In keeping with Reuters, the red-clad crowd waved placards and chanted ‘Akufo-Addo should go’ and ‘IMF no’ in reference to the federal government’s ongoing talks with the Worldwide Financial Fund for billions of {dollars} to prop up the economic system.
The president final week sought to reassure Ghanaians that the authorities would get the nation’s funds again on monitor after shopper inflation topped 37% in September, a 21-year peak regardless of aggressive coverage tightening.
“He has failed and we’re asking him to resign. Excessive gasoline value increments are killing the individuals of Ghana,” stated protester Rafael Williams.
The peaceable protest was the newest in a collection of demonstrations this yr over the hovering value of dwelling that has made it even more durable for individuals to get by in a rustic the place round 1 / 4 of the inhabitants reside on lower than $2.15 per day, in response to the World Financial institution.
Ghana, which produces gold, cocoa and oil, has additionally seen the its cedi forex plummet by greater than 40% towards the greenback this yr, making it one of many worst-performing currencies in a area that’s affected by the fallout from a world financial slowdown.
“We’re talking to the IMF. They need to not give them loans,” stated tailor Francisca Wintima, who was amongst these protesting within the capital.
“Sufficient is sufficient. We’ve gold, we now have oil, we now have manganese, we now have diamonds. We’ve all the pieces we want on this nation. The one factor that we want is management.”