On the back of the arrests of some protestors of the #OccupyJulorBiHouse demonstration, Ghanaian artiste Black Sherif has expressed shock at why the authorities would prevent citizens from demanding accountability.

In a tweet, he indicates that he had to leave the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York after listening to Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo speak.

He suggested that he was surprised by the amount of money the President asked to be returned to the African continent, as reparations to African nations for the slave trade, while the government fails to live up to expectation.

The President told the United Nations General Debate that African states are annually losing more than $88 billion through illicit financial flows.

“Yes, those monies too must be returned to the continent. It is difficult to understand why the recipient countries are comfortable retaining such funds, while labelling those countries, from which the money is taken as corrupt," Akufo-Addo told the Assembly.

In his response, Black Sherif wrote: "Left the UN Conference in New York City right after the president of Ghana’s presentation. I’ve never heard a figure like what he asked for from the UN.

So if they carry all these money give dem, where them dey take pass? Hand on my heart I dey tell you there’s no evidence for all the moneys these people dey borrow in our name. And if the people, whose struggles you document to go ask for money, want accountability, you send Koti make they dey beat them? Lord knows this battle is Ours. Wonna go hear am."

Background

On Thursday, September 21, 2023, a group of irate Ghanaians set out to stage a demonstration to address economic woes faced by the citizens.

The civil society group organising the protest, Democracy Hub, had earlier notified the Ghana Police Service of their planned demonstration on Nkrumah Memorial Day to call on “the President and members of the Economic Management Team to #FixTheCountry in light of the level of economic mismanagement and theft that has engulfed our government from the highest levels.”

The police, however, filed an injunction application on the eve of the demonstration and proceeded to arrest protestors who showed up to join in the protest.

Organisers went ahead with the picket despite warnings from the police to stop. This caused the police to arrest about 50 of the protestors.

Celebrities like Kofi Kinaata, KiDi, KoJo Cue, Lydia Forson, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, EL, Cina Soul, Yvonne Nelson, among others, took to social media to vent their spleen on the development.

Unfazed by the police action, the protestors converged at the 37 Lorry Station on September 22, 2023, for Day 2 of the demonstration in spite of heavy police presence.

Some celebrities spotted at today's demonstration were EL, Efya, SDK Dele, Kelvyn Boy, among others.