A political activist and physician, Dr Arthur Kennedy, has warned public officials of potential unrest due to the growing despair and desperation among Ghanaians.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile on Saturday, July 6, he highlighted the dangerous implications of ignoring public sentiment and historical lessons.
He made these comments in reaction to the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s call on leadership to pay more attention to public concerns about leadership in order to avoid a replica of the protest by young people in Kenya.
Referencing a warning from Archbishop Duncan Williams about the growing anger on the streets, Dr Kennedy noted that the conduct of public officials seemed to be provoking potential explosions of public unrest.
“The conduct of our public officials seems to be daring the streets to explode and I fear that when it does explode, it will be too late to do anything about it,” he stated.
While applauding Mr Afenyo-Markin’s recent remarks, he urged Parliament to take further steps towards accountability beyond the talk.
Drawing parallels with historical events, Dr Kennedy cautioned against complacency, citing the example of Chile in 1973, which experienced a sudden and destabilising coup despite a century of uninterrupted democracy.
He also referenced the Arab Spring and revolutions driven by economic discontent, underscoring the cyclical nature of history and the risks of ignoring underlying economic grievances.
“Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat its tragedies,” he warned.