General News of Tuesday, 16 May 2006

Source: --

"Wahala" demo today

The Committee for Joint Action (CJA), organizers of a series of nationwide demonstrations against fuel price hikes says all is set for its planned nationwide protest against recent increases.

The Wahala phase two according to the CJA will take place simultaneously in Accra, Kumasi, Techiman and Tamale today.

Spokespersons of the CJA have been deployed to the various demonstration centres to coordinate activities in those areas and whip up public support for the protests.

According to Bernard Monah, one of the organizers coordinating affairs from Kumasi, the CJA has duly complied with all directives stipulated under the Public Order Act.

?If the police have not invited us for any discussions we take it that they have agreed with the notification we have given them so there we have complied our part. We are going ahead with our demonstrations tomorrow for the minimum days required is 5. We have done so, so if the police must comply with their responsibility of protecting the demonstrators through out the demonstration?, he said.

The CJA says today?s demonstrations will involve interest groups including drivers? associations, porters, public and civil servants, farmers and students. Mr. Bernard Mornah said that CJA will not relent on its planned protests.

Speaking to a radio station yesterday he said: ?We are really prepared for the demonstration. As I speak to you now, I?m in Kumasi and anywhere I pass people begin to ask why I should not start today and continue tomorrow. It gets really serious and pathetic that our welfare situation have gone bank shell and today people are really angry and they think that the only way they can express this anger is to go out on the street and protest to the NPP government?.