Over 2,500 people in the Eastern Region and its environs are expected to march though some principal streets to register their dissatisfaction about the management of affairs of the county by the Mills-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

Members of the Committee for Democratic Movement (CDM), a pressure group in the region which is organising the demonstration told The Ghanaian Observer (GO) newspaper that the participants of the demonstration would mainly be students, market women, traders, drivers, hawkers and people from all walks of life who believe that there is economic hardship in the country and want drastic transformation.

A spokesperson of CDM, Mr. Justice Obour, told GO that over 2500 people who are expected to participate in the demonstration would converge at the Koforidua Jackson’s Park and march through the principal streets of the town and finally present a petition to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, which would be copied to President Mills.

According to Mr. Obour, the possible date for the demonstration would be between March 17 and 25, 2010. He continued that the demonstration was meant to register CDMs disapproval of the imposition of taxes on some basic commodities which had resulted in the high cost of living Ghanaians are facing currently. Mr. Obuor noted that if the demonstration did not yield any positive result, the group would continue to pile pressure on the government until the issue of high cost of living had been addressed.

A leading member of the group, Mr. Annoh Dompreh Jnr. Also told GO that the current tax ratio to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is 23%, which is affecting the ordinary Ghanaian negatively. He said the NDC government, which assumed power on the wings of creating “A Better Ghana” and prosperity for all Ghanaians, “has ended up making lives better for themselves as they are now living in luxurious houses to the detriment of the ordinary Ghanaian.

According to him, President Mills who claims he believes in transparency, probity and accountability, is now watching his appointees spending billions of cedis on refreshment and other unnecessary things.

He mentioned the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) boss who was reported to have spent billions of cedis on accommodation and purchase of cars among other superfluous spending, in this government, “but nothing has been done about it. He called on all Ghanaians to join them in their quest to ensure that President Mills’ administration pursues policies which will improve the lives of the people.