Ghanaians hit the streets with #FixTheCountry protest

Accra, Ghana – Thousands of protesters marched in the streets of Accra in Ghana, in a demonstration to highlight the economic problems and government’s mismanagement of the country. The rally, aimed at the leadership and government of President Nana Akufo-Addo, saw many young Ghanaians speaking out against bad governance with the hashtag #FixTheCountry.

The campaign was initiated on Twitter by social media influencer Joshua Boye-Doe (popularly known as Kalyjay) in reaction to increased fuel prices following a spate of tax increases. #FixTheCountry protests might have fizzled out after a short period (public outcries are rarely sustained in Ghana) but for the insensitive and combative posture of government supporters, who retorted with #FixYourself and #FixYourAttitude, further exacerbating the protests. Some protesters dressed in red and black chanted patriotic songs and waved placards declaring “#FixTheCountry,” “Corruption breeds poverty,” “Fix our education system now,” as they marched through the city centre.

Such an outburst of youth activism is unusual for a West African nation like Ghana that has been mostly peaceful in recent times. Although the country is regularly praised for its stable democracy – particularly because of its free media, and peaceful elections and transfers of power—citizens hardly demonstrate, preferring instead to voice their frustrations amongst themselves, or over the news and social media.

President Akufo-Addo had been widely accused of constituting a “family and friends” government, made up of 126 ministers—the largest government in Ghana’s history. In 2016, he campaigned on a promise to root out corruption, so Ghanaians were angered by the scandals that ensued under his watch, including him forcing Daniel Domelevo, the erstwhile auditor-general, out of office over his investigation of a payment the Ministry of Finance made to a British company.

He also incurred the wrath of employees and depositors at the many financial institutions shuttered under his administration’s financial sector clean-up exercise due to their poor regulation, insolvency, and fraudulent activities. The #FixTheCountry movement, which is mostly led by youths, have denounced the government for its failings and declared the need for an urgent clean-up of the country. With the economy hit hard by the pandemic, the government has introduced new taxes, and high fuel prices have also hiked the cost of basic goods and services.

Led by social media activists, the #FixTheCountry protest on Twitter has been highlighting economic problems and government management. “If the political authorities will not fix this country, we want to tell them that we are capable of destroying their career because we brought them to power,” said Fatima Mensah, a 35-year-old activist.