More than 1,000 protesters trooped out in Accra, Ghana’s capital on Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo amid an economic crisis that has damaged the cedi currency and skyrocketing prices of fuel and food.
The protesters, strolling past police, were all clad in red displayed placards and chanted “Akufo-Addo must go” and “IMF no” regarding the government’s ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars to subsidise the economy.
Akufo-Addo, last week, made assured Ghanaians that the authorities would revive the country’s finances after consumer inflation topped 37% in September, a 21-year peak despite aggressive policy tightening.
“He has failed and we are asking him to resign. High fuel price increments are killing the people of Ghana,” said a protester Rafael Williams.
The peaceful protest was the latest in a series of struggles this year over the rising cost of living that has made it even harder for people to get by in a country where around a quarter of the population lives on less than $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank.
Ghana, which produces gold, cocoa and oil, has also seen its cedi currency fall by more than 40% against the dollar this year, making it one of the worst-performing currencies in a region that is suffering from the fallout from a global economic slowdown.
“We are speaking to the IMF. They should not give them loans,” said a tailor Francisca Wintima.
“Enough is enough. We have gold, we have oil, we have manganese, we have diamonds. We have everything we need in this country. The only thing that we need is leadership.”
