A former chairman of the People’s National Convention, (PNC) Bernard Mornah, says his planned ‘Justice 4 Ghana’ protest will end at Parliament House despite reports that the police has secured a court injunction against them going there.
According to him, they pose no security risk to the institution of Parliament.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said his outfit had provided adequate information about the protest and been guaranteed of the necessary protection, and so he’s surprised to learn about the said injunction restricting their movement.
“That [injunction] is an imagination. On Tuesday morning, I spoke to the Accra Regional Police Commander. This [Tuesday] evening, I spoke to the head of the police in Parliament, Freeman Tettey… We have not been served any attempt by the police that they were going to court, and you cannot go to court on ex-parte motion and stop a protest,” he argued.”
He said the demonstrators had initially planned to march through the Central Business District to parliament, but after discussions with the police, there was consensus to converge on the Efua Sutherland Children’s park and then move to occupy parliament and stay there until the e-levy is rejected.
“We have notified the police of what we want to do…. We don’t pose security risks, we don’t carry weapons. We have our mats and student mattresses, and we will be there until the government becomes responsive and withdraws the e-levy.”
Commenting on the levy which has become controversial, Mr. Mornah said the post-COVID-19 era requires that the government supports businesses to grow rather than burden them with new taxes.
“The times we are in should tell you that there should not be taxation at all because businesses are suffocating and when they are suffocating, you give them a reprieve, not taxes. How do you expect them to survive?,” he quizzed, adding that the suggestions that the e-levy will help to significantly transform the country is false since the leveraging of the country’s natural resources has not had a major effect on the country’s development. “E-levy is rather a minus on the contributions and rise of entrepreneurship…The government cannot say it needs the e-levy as the only means of surviving before it can ensure development,” he added.
Bernard Mornah further called on the public to join the group in the protest to impress on the government to withdraw the e-levy.
“Tomorrow [Wednesday], we should see as many people showing up their interest that we will march together to the parliament house and stay at the forecourt and pile the pressure,” he said.
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