THROWBACK: The Kume Preko demonstration that shook Ghana in 1995

Did you know that the largest protest to ever take place in Ghana happened about 27 years ago?

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Dr. Charles Wreko Brobbey, Kwasi Pratt Jr., Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako, Akoto Ampaw, Victor Newman, Kwaku Opoku, and Napoleon Abdulai were among the leaders of this demonstration, which also included some 100,000 other individuals.

The rally against the then-Rawlings administration was said to have been fueled by the high cost of living and, in particular, the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods.

It was a time when able-bodied and hard-working folks reportedly struggled to pay for one decent meal per day for a family.

Additionally, it was reported that the drop-out rate in educational institutions was increasing at an extremely alarming rate.

However, when some unknown assailants started firing on the protesters, what had initially been a peaceful demonstration became bloody.

The attacks left many people with serious injuries and some of them eventually dead.

The Stateman’s Article on the Aftermath of 1995 Kume Preko

Kume Preko, a protest against Ghana’s high cost of living, in particular the application of Value Added Tax (VAT) to goods, has passed.

However, the consequences of the violent altercation between the protesters and the ACDRs are still being felt today. The suffering has only recently begun for some families.

Because there would be fewer people to take care of the family, the anguish for those who lost husbands is considerably greater.

Naturally, news of the atrocities done continues to spread. The following article is provided by Ghana Review and was taken from the Ghanaian Chronicle.

Yaw Atta’s brother Kwabena Gyan, who was shot in the chest and scrotum, recalled what might have taken place in the dark alleys of war-torn Liberia.

The 26-year-old seller of second-hand shirts claimed that on that fateful Thursday, the majority of the merchants in the vicinity of Accra Central Railway station went to the station with the intention of witnessing the march, just as they had done on previous occasions when there were demonstrations.

The brutal act of a beggar being shot dead in cold blood by the ACDRs, according to Kwabena Gyan, caused all the lads to flee in search of safety to the Central Police Station. However, the ACDRs would not allow them to escape unharmed.