The opposition political parties in the northern region led by the country’s biggest opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has set August 22, 2016 for their demonstration against rising electricity bills.
The demonstration dubbed, “Di Miya” which literally means times are hard, is to impress on president John Dramani Mahama led administration to reduce the cost of electricity by at least 50%.
The parties had earlier at a news conference on 29th June hinted that government risks facing the full force of the anger of the people of the northern region if it does reduce the price of electricity.
Mr Daniel Bugre Naabu, regional chairman of the NPP flanked the party’s regional secretary, Mr Sule Salifu, and representatives of the other opposition parties, told news men at a joint news conference that the demo was the only language government will understand to address the plight of the ordinary.
The northern, Upper East, Upper West and Brong Ahafo regions get electricity supply from the Northern Electricity Distributing Company (NEDCo) while the other six regions are hooked to the Volta River Authority (VRA).
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT OF DI MIYA DEMO NEWS CONFERENCE
On Wednesday, 29th June, 2016, Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we the main opposition political parties in the northern region, concerned about the immeasurable hardships that the government of government of President John Dramini Mahama continues to put the people of the north through, sent an ultimate to the president through you in the following terms; ‘’REDUCE ELECTRICITY PRICES BY AT LEAST 50% WITHIN ONE WEEK OR FACE THE FULL PORCE OF THE ANGER OF THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN REGION’’. The President and his government have completely refused to respond to our request. We even relaxed our demands, and waited 48 days and 48 nights and not even an invitation to meet the regional political heads to sit down and discuss these matters that affect every household and business in the northern region, like access to reliable and affordable electricity. It was the first time in recent history that the opposition parties here came together to speak with one voice. To ignore our collective voice, is to ignore the voice of the people; and to ignore that is to show absolute disdain and intolerance for the opposition political parties here. In fact, President Dramani Mahama chose to ignore the cry of the people completely when he visited the region last month. He never once spoke on the killer tariffs and its related consequences. He has shown more evidence than necessary that he simply does not care about the fact that more and more people here are struggling just to put a single meal on the dining table for the family. We told you the President does not care for the people of the north. By refusing to respond, the president has also dished out to all the opposition parties the arrogance of power syndrome: he simply cannot give a hoot about us. But, we are determined to show to the whole that president Mahama and his government cannot continue to take us for granted and treat the people of the north as if we are only good for votes. For every three people who may agree with the president, we can count on at least 7 more who are sick and tired of the lies, deception, unemployment, rising cost of living, lack of irrigation, bad roads, and the institutionalized version of stealing from the coffers of the state. After 48 days of silence to an ultimatum that should have lapsed july 6, we are, therefore, left with no choice out to take the next tactical step. That step, ladies and gentlemen, is to declare that exactly a week today, Monday 22nd August, all the main opposition parties here in the north, will be joined by some of our leaders and supporters across the country, to join hands with the suffering workers, employers, youth, unemployed people, mothers and many more from the north to stage a peaceful, nonviolent protest against the hardships and direction Mr Mahama is putting us through. We have, as the law requires, put the police on notice. We intend to organize a mega, non-violent protest to send a clear message to the president Mahama that ‘’ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!’’ The demonstration is called Di Miiya. The Dagbani for ‘’times are tough’’. Given this regrettable and of course worrying reality of the state of the northerner, when youth employment is not working the youth of the north is worse affected, when allowances of nursing and teacher training colleges are withdrawn the students of the north are worse affected, when the prices of petroleum products are ridiculously high the people of the north are worse affected and indeed, when the prices of electricity are not only high but seemingly criminally charged the people of the north are the worse affected. Our people are being made poorer and poorer by the policies of a ruling party that has taken the north for granted for far so long. This demonstration is for everyone who is hard hit by the high prices of electricity and the general hardship caused by the disastrous government of this NDC administration. Feel free at come and join us. It is about you, it is for you and it is from you to the powers that may be ……at least for now. We are determined to have a memorable, but incident-free demonstration. Zogbeli Block ‘’B’’ football park is the designated convergence point.
NPP engaging in intellectual dishonesty-NDC communication director
Responding to the parties intended demo, Northern Regional Communication Director of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abdul Mumin Alhassan Fuseini Described their intended demo as highly intellectual dishonesty.
I know the caliber of NPP guys and they should know better the institutions mandated to electricity or any other utility service providers, Mr Mumin explained.
He told Zaa News that, the rights institutions to direct their concerns to, was Public Regulatory Commission (PURC) which has oversized responsibility of utility service providers and not president Mahama and government.
He also urged the NPP to their focus their in uniting what he called fragmented political institution. A political with no chairman, no General secretary has no credibility and yet instead of fining solutions to their problems they rather want Ghanaians to trust them, is unfortunate he added