Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., wants the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, to replicate the action of Mohamed Bouazizi, the young man whose self-immolation act led to the Tunisian uprising, if he (Wontumi) truly wants an “Arab Spring” revolt enacted in Ghana.
Twenty-six-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi who operated a vegetable cart for seven years in Tunisia was arrested by a policewoman in his cart and produce. Bouazizi, whose plea went unheeded, later tried to bribe the officer, but in response the policewoman was alleged to have insulted his deceased father and slapped him.
Humiliated, Bouazizi later went to the provincial headquarters in an attempt to complain to local municipality officials and to have his produce returned but was refused audience.
However, Bouazizi returned to the headquarters, doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire. The public, mostly the youth in Tunisia quickly went ballistic over the incident, leading to protests. This immolation and the subsequent heavy-handed response by the police to peaceful marchers caused riots in Tunisia.
Such uprising is what Bernard Antwi-Boasiako also known as ‘Chairman Wontumi’ is calling for to overthrow the incumbent government.
Addressing a rally in Kumasi, he said, people in the Region are disgusted with the capitation policy of the National Health Insurance Scheme being piloted in the region by government.
He however warned that “If he (President Mahama) knows what is best for him, he will abandon this capitation policy, in a months’ time; I ‘Chairman Wontumi’ will call on one million to two million people in the Ashanti Region to join a big demonstration for about a month. What the Tunisians did, we are going to do same here in Ashanti Region; I ‘Chairman Wontumi’ will never rest until the NDC is overthrown”.
Discussing the issue on Adom FM the seasoned journalist, Mr. Pratt, opined that in as much as the country is facing some crisis, calling for a revolution to overthrow a government as sworn by the NPP’s Ashanti Region Chairman is “unfortunate”.
-peacefmonline
