Features
‘Demonstrations’: A testing ground for any healthy democracy?
Justifiably, many Ghanaians are expressing their frustrations over the unbearable high cost of living currently ‘afflicting’ the country.
Indisputably, prices of goods and services are skyrocketing to the amazement of many concerned Ghanaians.
Consequently, almost on daily basis, many Ghanaians are openly expressing their frustrations in many places, including homes, lorry parks, markets, schools, restaurants and on radio and television stations across the country.
It was, therefore, not surprising that a blended pressure group calling itself ‘Arise Ghana’ , took to the streets of Accra for two days (28th and 29th June, 2022), noisely protesting to Government over the excruciating hardships confronting many Ghanaians.
Reportedly, the ‘Arise Ghana’ group included civil society organisations, ‘okada’ riders, taxi and ‘trotro’ drivers, market women, some unemployed youth and many members and leaders of the Opposition political parties. Indeed, many members and leaders of the National Democratic Congress dominated the two-day Accra street protests.
The protesters, who were in their thousands, held many placards, some of which read: ‘Reduce High Fuel Prices’ , ‘ Inflation Out of Control’ , ‘Cedi Broken Jail?’ , ‘Food Prices Too High’ , ‘Cost of Living Unbearable’ , ‘ Corruption Galore !! ‘, ‘Scrap E-levy’, ‘Pay NABCO & National Service Personnel’ and ‘Ghanaians Are Suffering’.
Sadly, the first day of the ‘Arise Ghana’ protest or demonstration was punctuated by intense violence, rioting and chaos, thus, some protesters and police officers deployed to protect life and property, sustaining grave injuries on various parts of their bodies.
Really, overwhelming pieces of evidence abound that the demonstrators pelted the police with stones, injuring them and destroying their vehicles in the process. The police, in controlling the ensuing violence and rioters, fired rubber bullets and threw tear gas in attempts to calm the situation.
Indeed, police report confirmed that over 30 protesters were arrested while some of the 12 police officers who were hit by ‘missiles’ thrown at them , were hospitalised.
Security experts say, instead of the police controlling “a crowd of demonstrators” , they rather controlled rioters. But some conveners of ‘Arise Ghana’ also claimed that the police deliberately instigated the riots to derail the demonstration.
Readers, protests or demonstrations being ‘springwells’ of democratic culture, are properly embedded in the belly of our 1992 national Constitution.
Incontestably, in a democratic society, citizens have a right to gather peacefully and protest the policies of their government or actions of other groups with demonstrations, marches, petitions, boycotts, strikes etc.
Direct actions are open in a democracy, but traditionally, they have been used by the oppressed, the disadvantaged or minority groups who feel excluded from other means of influencing government policies. Such protests have always been part of democratic societies.
Today, non-violent protests, often designed to attract the attention of the news media , encompass a wide range of issues.
One special form of direct action is the right of labour unions to conduct strikes against employers with whom they have disputes that have not been resolved at the bargaining table.
Indeed, protests and demonstrations are a testing ground for any democracy. The ideals of free expression and citizen participation are easy to defend when everyone remains polite and in agreement on basic issues.
But protesters and their targets do not often agree on basic issues, and as such, disagreements may be passionate and angry.
The challenge then is balance; to defend the right of freedom of speech and assembly, while maintaining public order and countering attempts at intimidation or violence.
To suppress protests in the name of order, is to invite repression and to permit uncontrolled violent protests, is to invite anarchy. There is no magic formula for achieving this balance.
Probably, that might have been the basis for the violence, rioting and chaos that characterised the first day of the ‘Arise Ghana’ demonstration.
However, the second day of the demonstration, recorded peaceful scenes and episodes along the routes , leading to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and Parliament House, where the protesters presented a litany of demands in their petitions for redress.
Democracies make several assumptions about human nature. One is that, given the chance, people are generally capable of governing themselves in a manner that is fair and free.
Another is that, any society comprises a great diversity of interests and individuals who deserve to have their voices heard and their views respected.
As a result, one thing is true of all healthy democracies; they are noisy !!!
So, readers, is it really the case that demonstrations, protests and citizen actions are testing grounds for any healthy democracy?
Contact: email/ WhatsApp of author: asmahfrankg@gmail.com(0505556179)
By Dr. Akofa Segbefia
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
