Politics

Ghanaians Abroad stage protest, demand accountability from Mahama gov’t at UN

The Crystal Clear LENS 3 days ago 2 min read

Ghanaians in the diaspora under the group “Ghanaians Abroad” have staged a demonstration at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, demanding greater accountability and transparency from the Ghanaian government.

The demonstration, held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, brought together Ghanaians from across the United States and other countries under the theme “GHANA AYƐ MMƆBƆ”.

The protesters said the demonstration was intended to draw international attention to what they described as unfulfilled campaign commitments and pressing governance and development concerns in Ghana.

Ahead of the demonstration, one of the organisers, Kwasi Obeng-Fosu, told Asaase Radio that the group would focus on issues including freedom of speech, illegal mining, job creation, education, the 24-hour economy, support for women-owned businesses and automatic postings for newly qualified teachers and nurses.

A major concern raised during the protest was illegal mining, with the organisers accusing the government of failing to take sufficiently decisive action to protect Ghana’s forests and water bodies.

They questioned why President John Dramani Mahama had not declared a state of emergency over illegal mining, a measure they said he had previously advocated under the previous administration.

The protesters also demanded accountability for several campaign promises, including the implementation of the 24-hour economy, the Women’s Development Bank, the Adwumawura programme and the abolition of the double-track system in senior high schools.

They expressed particular concern about what they described as delays in delivering jobs and opportunities for young people, as well as support for women-owned businesses.

On freedom of expression, the group raised concerns over what it described as the arrest and intimidation of social media commentators and citizens critical of government.

The organisers called for fairness and consistency in the application of the law, arguing that citizens should not feel threatened with arrest or imprisonment for expressing dissenting views.

The group also raised concerns over reports of large quantities of narcotics, including cocaine, allegedly being trafficked from Ghana to other countries.

They questioned what had changed to allow Ghana to become increasingly associated with international drug trafficking and urged the government to take urgent steps to protect the country’s international reputation.

The organisers said the demonstration was not intended to be a one-off event but the beginning of a broader accountability campaign.

They indicated that a petition would be presented to Ghanaian representatives in the United States and that the group would continue monitoring the government’s response to the issues raised.

The organisers said their objective was to demand measurable outcomes, clear timelines and evidence of implementation of outstanding government commitments.