The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has called for a total overhaul of the government’s leadership style.

This call comes on the heels of a social media protest by a group of Ghanaians who are unhappy with what they call the economic challenges in the country

Members of the movement had expressed displeasure over successive government’s failure to improve the living standards of Ghanaians on Twitter using the hashtag #FixTheCountry.

They cited dumsor, unemployment, poor healthcare systems as proof of successive governments’ mismanagement of the country.

Speaking on The Big Issue, Mr. Ablakwa said the uprising is a cause for reflection from the political class.

“A matter worth reflecting on in these times is how leadership conducts itself in times of crises. During the debate on the COVID-19 pandemic in Parliament, when the Finance Ministry proposed that they will have to touch the heritage fund, I argued and wrote extensively on the matter. I recommended that we look at the expenditure of the political class, suspend ex-gratia, slash the salary of the political class by 60%, reduce the number of ministries, and stop giving tax waivers to businesses affiliated with politicians in order for the genuine hard-working people who deserve it to access it.”

“The President mentioned in his first State of the Nation Address, that we are losing billions of dollars to these businesses in the name of tax waivers. Meanwhile, these companies are in a better position to pay taxes, the ordinary Ghanaian on the other hand is chased to pay taxes. We even get them imprisoned when they default.”

He opined that the country would not have gotten to this point if the government had shown exemplary character in these “hard times.”

“In the 2021 budget for example, whereas every sector had been affected, Parliament, judiciary, anti-corruption agencies, MMDAs, etc., the allocation budgeted for the government machinery rather shot up. There is a need for a total overhaul of the leadership style and its response. It is very important for the leadership of the country to set a certain moral example. If the youth had seen leaders setting the tone and making sacrifices, we would not have gotten to this point.”

Mr. Ablakwa further advised the government to be more open to the concerns of the protestors.

“Let the state show good faith. Let us see a certain opening up and embracing approach to sit and listen and give measurable assurance that it is fixing it and responding to your needs.”

The “#FixTheCountry” campaign has been trending online since it started on Twitter a week ago.

It has since become more organized, with its members attempting to hold a demonstration on May 9.

The planned demonstration was however stifled by the state after the Ghana Police Service secured an injunction against it.

The court ruled that the planned protest would not be able to come off until the restriction on public gatherings is lifted.

Conveners of the protest have now moved to challenge the injunction.