Grannies demonstrate over NHIS, dumsor & BECE cancellation

In a streak of several street protests that have hit the country in recent times, some aged women in the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi, are staging a peaceful street protest against the challenges facing Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme, the power crisis and the recent cancellation of the Basic Education Certificate Examination, BECE.

The Wednesday morning demonstration which saw the grannies clad in red and black apparel commenced at about 9:30 am at the precincts of the Kumasi Center for National Culture.

It is not clear the distance the aged persons would be covering in the rather surprising street protest.

The demonstration, dubbed "Merewafo resu" in the local Akan dialect means grannies are crying.

TV3's Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Ibrahim Abubakar, reports the women, who number about fifty, say there is general economic hardship that is taking a huge toll on them.

He says the women have described the NHIS as a dead scheme since it is unable to offer them the required health services.

The scheme has in recent times suffered major inadequate funding setback making it extremely difficult for service providers to deliver.

Ibrahim says the women have also described the recent cancellation of five papers in the BECE as frustrating not only for the candidates but for parents.

The Ashanti Region, in particular, has seen more of recent nationwide demonstrations majority of which were spearheaded by the opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP, which has the region as its stronghold.

It is, however, unclear if this could be another politically motivated demonstration.