The executive director of the Alliance for Social Equity 'ASEPA', Mensah Thompson, has cautioned that, worse days may be experienced by Ghanaians in 2023.

Speaking on the recent 2023 budget read by the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta, the director asserted that, the policies in the budget presented provide no relief for Ghanaians, but rather unprepared hardship.

He also cautioned the government to focus on restructuring the Ghanaian economy, rather than suppressing the freedom of speech in the country, and making unnecessary arrests, citing the case of Kwaku Rafiki, a social media activist who was arrested over comments he made on social media.

"When you read the 2023 budget, Ghanaians should prepare for the worse, right now, this is the advice that we will give to Ghanaians: when you're preparing, prepare for the worse, because the next few years, especially 2 years, its going to be a very crucial and difficult year for the people of this country.

"Already we have started seeing the consequences, and the 2023 budget, there is nothing in the budget that shows that this government, is ready to tackle problems facing Ghanaians, difficulties, crises in the nation. If not, he won't run a deficit of 61 billion in times of a crises. This means that the government doesn't care about our problems," Mensah Thompson said.

"This is not the time for unnecessary witch hunting, this is not the time for an attack on free speech," he added. "I use your medium to condemn the needless arrest of Kwaku Rafiki, a social media activist, because he said something and he was arrested; it is purely unnecessary and unacceptable."

Mensah Thompson made these comments when he appeared on Critical Issues on UTV.


AM/WA