The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has said Ghanaian youth deserve better.
According to him, there is no doubt the country is in economic stress.
In Mr Mustapha’s view, there is global stress; hence, young people around the world share similar stories despite the varying degrees.
He acknowledged the economic challenges faced by the country, attributing them to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Eastern European conflict.
The NPP Youth Organiser made these remarks in a statement while reacting to the three-day #OccupyjulorbiHouse protest organised by pressure group, Democracy Hub.
Mr Mustapha’s statement indicated that, there was no concrete basis for the protest.
“I tried so hard in the 3 days of the protest to take home the most salient reason and demand for the protest, but nothing concrete. Except for the usual rhetoric of fixing the road, motorway, cost of living, and other tangential, which borders on politics,” portions of the statement read.
However, he condemned the actions of the police on the first day of the demonstration, emphasising that the right to protest is a fundamental and constitutionally protected right.
The NPP Youth leader highlighted the importance of the police in drawing lessons from past events to prevent such occurrences.
“I followed with keen interest a 3-Day demonstration organised by a group known as Democracy Hub. I want to first condemn the action of the police force on the first day of the demonstration. I thought that the barbaric act that was meted on us in September 2015, where we were brutalised, served as a lesson for the police to learn from and never to repeat again, but alas.
“For the record, the right to demonstrate is inalienable and guaranteed by the Constitution. Citizens have the right to protest, albeit peacefully, to drum home their demands,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Mustapha praised the government’s achievements in infrastructure development, noting major projects like the Ofankor-Nsawam dualisation of the Accra-Kumasi Highway and multiple interchange constructions.
also commended the government’s investments in education, health, and sports infrastructure, citing the completion of the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Agenda 111, and the increase in AstroTurf facilities.
Regarding job creation, he acknowledged that while unemployment remains a concern, the government has created over two million jobs and maintained a lower unemployment rate compared to the previous administration.
Mr. Mustapha urged for a balanced perspective on the government’s achievements, emphasizing the importance of national identification and digitalization.
In conclusion, Salam Mustapha expressed his confidence in the government’s commitment to addressing the current challenges, emphasizing that Ghana was the fastest-growing economy in the world in 2018. He urged unity and trust in the government’s efforts to “fix” the country.
The leader of the NPP National Youth Wing reiterated the government’s dedication to working for the betterment of Ghana, concluding with the rallying cry, “We are fixing Ghana!”
Read the full statement below:
