Organisers of the Times Are Hard demo have issued a two-week ultimatum to the government to cut electricity tariffs by 50 per cent in the three regions up north: Northern, Upper East and Upper West.

“We will not stop demonstrating, we are giving government an ultimatum of two weeks or else we will continue demonstrating in all the NEDCO areas – Upper West, Upper East, and Brong Ahafo,” a Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Anthony Karbo said during the demonstration on Monday, 22 August.

The Coalition of Opposition Political Parties hit the streets in the Northern Region to protest against what they described as hardships arising from the failure of government to address concerns of the people in the North.

The protesters, numbering at least 500, were clad in red. Most of them wore red shirts with the inscription ‘Di Mi Ya’, which translates as ‘times are hard’ in Dagbani.

Some of them held placards which read: “No reduction, no Vote”, “Incompetent Mahama”, “We don’t eat Green Book”, “Are we safe with the Mahama administration?” and “Mahama, where is SADA?” among others.

For Mr Karbo, the country “cannot continue to have an arrogant government that does not listen to the plight of the poor”.

He further stated that the hardships had become unbearable and people could not put their lives together. That “is why we are on the streets”.

“People cannot pay school fees, many of our youth cannot afford school fees, and our farmers are suffering. Public sector workers are not getting the best, the economy is not run well and there is too much corruption in the system,” he lamented.

He condemned how public funds “go into private pockets” adding that it was time for people to make government accountable.