Agyapa’s demo was blocked, but others were allowed to protest a comment on social media

General news for Sunday, September 20, 2020

Source: Ghana Guardian

20-09-2020

The political activist and critic of the ruling New Patriotic Party (PNP), Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly called A Plus, has reacted to a court order that prevents the Alliance for Social Equity and Responsibility (ASEPA) from going ahead with an exercise of Demonstration to protest the controversial Agyapa royalty agreement.

The civil society group had planned to take to the streets of Accra on Monday, September 21, 2020, to register its dissatisfaction with said agreement that seeks to monetize Ghana’s gold royalties.

But the Ghana Police Service, through the Inspector General of Police (IGP), has obtained an order from the High Court to block the planned demonstration.

According to the Court, its decision was made after examining the sworn statement presented by the police and the response presented by the plaintiff’s lawyer regarding the ex parte petition on the matter.

“It is hereby directed that the respondents in this document, namely ASEPA and Mensah Thompson [Executive Secretary] or any other group of people affiliated with the respondents are prohibited and restricted from demonstrating against an agreement approved by the Ghanaian Parliament, popularly known as the Agyapa agreement, whose demonstration is scheduled for September 21, 2020 ”, said the order away.

However, in reaction to this, Kwame ‘Bosom’ A Plus could not understand why the police chief will go to court to ask for an order to block the planned Agyapa demonstration in the same country where a group calling itself Ciudadanos Okyeman’s Concerned recently protested ‘Akyem Sakawa Boys’ comment posted on Facebook by Bolgatanga Central MP, Hon. Isaac Adongo and later shared by former President John Dramani Mahama.

“The IGP has gone to the high court with an exparte to obtain a court order against the Agyapa Demo in this same country where a group of people was allowed to demonstrate due to a comment on social networks,” he wrote on his page from Facebook viewed by Guardian of Ghana.

The publication added: “This is the country that is so religious that we have demolished buildings worth millions to build a church for God.”