Ras Mubarak, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kumbungu constituency, has lamented the severity of Ghanaians’ current economic hardship after joining a public commercial vehicle in Accra.
The former National Democratic Congress lawmaker decided to forego his personal vehicles in order to “gauge public opinion.”
After the experience, Mubarak concluded that the gravity of Ghanaians’ economic hardship is intolerable.
“I picked trotro (public transport) as I often do to gauge public opinion. Ghanaians are going through unbearable hardships,”
Ras Mubarak posted on his Facebook page on November 6th.
Ras Mubarak
A day earlier, he had joined hundreds of other Ghanaians in protesting the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party government’s mismanagement of the country’s economy, calling for the president and his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to resign.
The ‘Kume Preko’ (kill me now) protest saw Ghanaians from all over the country converge on Accra, the country’s capital, to walk through the main streets to express their displeasure with the current economic crisis.
Ghana is currently unable to pay its internal and external debts, as well as other financial obligations.
Several international rating agencies have downgraded the economy, reducing investor confidence and dumping it into the junk category.
The continuous depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar and other major trading currencies has caused prices of goods and services, such as fuel and transportation fares, to skyrocket, making survival difficult for Ghanaians.
The government is currently banking its hopes on ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance in saving the sinking economy, including a $3 billion bailout fund.
On Sunday, October 30, President Akufo-Addo addressed the nation and outlined the measures his administration intends to put in place to help the economy. However, Ghanaians and many analysts believe the measures are insufficient.
