It was an unfamiliar sight on Friday morning as traders and all persons going about their normal activities were greeted by trumpets and moaning from a sea of red and black persons that had taken over the streets.
These were not mourners who were returning from mortuary with the body of a departed relative or heading to the cemetery with the corpse for burial.
They were instead a sea of agitated Ghanaians who were demonstrating their dissatisfaction with a group of persons in authority or had held positions of trust in the country but mismanaged the resources of the country while in office.
Starting off from the famous Obra Spot – a converging point for demonstrators in the capital, the furious men and women in black walked through the streets displaying various placards that were either calling for the prosecution of the named persons or speaking against acts of corruption which is eating the basic fabric of the Ghanaian society.
The demonstration was not without curses from the angry demonstrators as well.
The cheers and response that greeted them at various points on the journey to the offices of the Economic and Organised Office (EOCO) signified the magnitude of approvals for their cause.
Market women and office workers alike either clapped for them or held their thumbs up in approval of what they were doing. “Enough of the corruption and thievery…,” some of the bystanders shouted.
Market women who felt the urge to join the fight against corruption in the country left their wares for others and danced along with the demonstrators.
One step after the other, the demonstrators led by host of Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’, Captain Smart arrived at the offices of EOCO to present a mountain of evidences to them and called for investigations and subsequent retrieval of monies stolen and prosecution of persons named as having engaged in acts of corruption.
Not only was a radio presenter leading a demonstration against corruption a novelty, it was equally surprising that a journalist would go beyond using the microphone to broadcast news and information about corruption and throng the streets to demand accountability from persons in authority.
The ‘Fabewoso’ demonstration had the backing of all anti-corruption agencies and societies in the country who came with placards demanding the uprooting of corruption from the country.
Arriving at the offices of the investigative body, the demonstrators presented to them, the mountain of evidence of acts of corruption against persons who hold or had held state positions to them demanding that EOCO conducts full scale investigation into the acts of corruption and retrieve monies stolen back into the coffers of the state.
A period of three (3) months was given to the state agency within which they have to do the work and prosecute persons found guilty.
“We are given EOCO three months within which they must work and investigate persons engaged in acts of corruption who are in the documents we have presented to them…,” Captain Smart announced while presenting the documents to a representative of EOCO.
After the given period, the demonstrators threatened to stage another massive demonstration in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, to register their displeasure.