This is war, what ‘childish behaviour’ is this? – Pratt Blasts #FixtheCountry activists

Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has scolded #FixtheCountry activists, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Okatakyie Afrifa and Captain Smart among others over their request to embark on armed demonstration on June 4th, 2022.

The activists, in a letter to the Police, noted they would like to “bring our own security company to provide protection to demonstrators. All weapons held by demonstrators or by the contracted security personal will be for personal protection only; and all weapons will be duly permitted in accordance with the Arms and Ammunitions Act, 1972 (NRCD 9) e) Proposed route and destination: We expect that the Demonstrators will gather at Circle”.

They also requested to address the nation on national television.

“The procession will move from Circle to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, where the Protestors will make a demand a slot on GTV to speak directly to the Nation and lay out our grievances, in accordance with Article 55(11), which guarantees fair opportunity to Ghanaians to present their programmes to the public through equal access to the state-owned media.”

After perusing the demands, the Ghana Police Service has secured an injunction from the Accra High Court against the intended demonstration.

“After hearing the application [on Friday, May 3], the Court granted an order to restrain the organisers, their agents, assigns and whoever is claiming through them from embarking on the armed demonstration as had been intended,” the Police said in a statement on Friday.

Kwesi Pratt, touching on the issue, blasted the FixtheCountry activists for making what he termed as “childish” demands.

He asked what they would be doing with the weapons and their rationale for seeking to go on national Television.

“What do these people want to do? That you put a pen to paper or sit behind the computer and type a letter with your 10 fingers to the Police that I am coming on demonstration and will be carrying a gun. What! Then this is war; declaration of war. I can’t just fathom it. I mean what was the writer of the letter thinking? That you write to the Police that we are coming to your headquarters and we will be bringing along guns”, he stated.

To him, the group would not want to take guns with them if they don’t intend to use it.

“Do we joke with guns? You bringing a gun to a demonstration means you will shoot if given the opportunity. If you won’t shoot, why bring it? It means you will trigger the gun.”

To Mr. Pratt, the group is defeating the essence of demonstration.

“What kind of childish behaviour is this? If you do these things and write these letters, you undermine the right to demonstrate because you have now empowered those who dislike demonstrations. They have a basis talking against demonstrations and so on. You have cause it; you are not enhancing our freedoms. You are diminishing our freedoms and so on”, he said on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.