The Curious Case Of The Missing Naked Demo: Why Kumasi's Elderly Women Won't Protest Again

In 2015, a group of elderly women in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, made headlines by threatening a naked demonstration against then-President John Mahama's government. The women, who were market vendors, were unhappy with the perceived hardship in the country and the government's plans to rebuild the Central Market and Kejetia Market.

Evidence of the naked demo threat:

1. "Kumasi Market Women Threaten Naked Demo Against Mahama" - Headline from GhanaWeb, October 2015
2. "Naked Demo Looms as Kumasi Market Women Protest Against Gov't" - Headline from Daily Guide, October 2015
3. "Kumasi Market Women Strip Half-Naked in Protest Against Gov't" - Headline from Starr FM, October 2015, etc.

Fast forward to today, and the economic situation in Ghana has arguably worsened. Petrol prices have skyrocketed from 14 cedis per gallon to 70 cedis, and the dollar exchange rate has ballooned from 3 cedis to 16 cedis. The cost of living has increased exponentially, with prices of basic commodities like rice, maize, and sugar tripling in just a few years. The national debt has ballooned to over 400 billion cedis, with interest payments alone consuming a significant chunk of the national budget. The country's inflation rate has soared to over 30%, eroding the purchasing power of the average Ghanaian. The currency, the cedi, has depreciated so rapidly that it's now one of the worst-performing currencies in Africa.

Additionally, Ghanaians are struggling with:

1. High electricity tariffs, with some experiencing over 100% increase in their bills
2. Water shortages and rationing in major cities
3. Poor road conditions, with many roads in disrepair
4. Lack of access to quality healthcare, with many hospitals lacking basic medical supplies
5. High unemployment rates, especially among the youth
6. Delayed or non-payment of salaries for some public sector workers
7. Closure of businesses, leading to job losses and economic instability
8. Reduction in the minimum wage, making it difficult for workers to make ends meet

Yet, curiously, there are no threats of naked demos from the same group of women. Have they become complacent or resigned to their fate? Or have they been bought off or co-opted by the current government? Or is it simply a case of "sie ta yende", a popular Ghanaian phrase that means "it's all over for us"?

Have these elderly women fallen victim to the economic hardships inflicted upon us by the current NPP government? Have they succumbed to poverty, hunger, and despair? Or are they simply too sick or weak to speak out again? Or could it be that their party, the NDC, is no longer in power, and they have conveniently lost their voice?

Are they dead, silenced by the harsh economic realities that have claimed so many lives? Or are they simply too exhausted or ill to speak out again, their bodies weakened by the struggle to survive in a country where the cost of living continues to skyrocket? Or have they simply chosen to remain silent now that their party, the NPP, is in power, their voices muted by the allure of power and political expediency?

It's a stark reminder that political activism can be fleeting and opportunistic, and that principles are often sacrificed at the altar of power and convenience. Whatever the reason, their silence is deafening, and one cannot help but wonder what has become of the fiery spirit that once drove them to threaten naked demos.

When will these old women in Kumasi see something going wrong and speak out about it when the NPP is in power? Or is it only when the NDC comes into power that they find their voice? Are they afraid of being attacked or persecuted when the NPP is in power, or did they simply take advantage of the democratic freedoms offered by the NDC to demonstrate and insult our leaders with impunity, but not with the NPP?

It's not just the old women, but some sections of our society who have chosen to remain silent in the face of wrongdoing by the NPP government. They had plenty to say when the NDC was in power, but now their voices are eerily silent. They condemned the NDC for every minor infraction, but have conveniently lost their voices in the face of the NPP's numerous scandals and atrocities. This time around, we await with bated breath to see if they will get their voices back at the coming of H.E John Mahama.

The people of Ghana deserve answers, and the market women of Kumasi owe us an explanation. Will they find their voice again, or will they remain silent forever? Only time will tell.

May God be with us and make us strong. Amen.
By Hon. Simon Yaw Awadzi.