Until very recently, whenever his name came up, he would be touted as one of the other politicians not linked to either the New Patriotic Party (NPP) or the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Bernard Mornah, the former Chairman of the
Read full articlePeoples National Convention (PNC), may no longer be in a recognized political office, but his influence has not waned in the least since then.
Even beyond party politics, the youthful political leader has continued to attract for himself a personality built around putting governments on their toes.
It is worth noting that the PNC has never produced a president in Ghana, but the party remains one of the country’s oldest and strongest opposition political groups, although in a rather minority position.
This, therefore, places it on the right step to play the "perfect" role of properly checking governments, and Bernard Mornah seems to still be doing just that.
In his newfound love, he has been seen at the forefront of some major street protests organized in the country, against the government as well as against some of its headline policies.
Call him the new ‘demo kingpin of Ghana’ and that description would not be far-fetched.
It has also more or less become common knowledge that the former PNC Chairman would show up at just about any demonstration or street protest organized in the country, particularly against the government.
Below are some of the instances where Bernard Mornah has been on the front lines of political activism in the country:
#FixTheCountry Protest:
On August 4, 2021, organisers of the #FixTheCountry protest led thousands of Ghanaians on the streets of Accra in protest of the state of the country at the time.
Having started online, the #FixTheCountry protest, aimed at getting the Nana Akufo-Addo government to come to the awareness that things were critical in the country economically, eventually yielded results when citizens clad in mostly red, poured onto the streets.
At this protest, the former Chairperson of the PNC, Bernard Mornah, made an appearance.
Yentua Demo:
On February 10, 2022, the Coalition of Concerned Ghanaians (CCG) organised a protest called the Yentua Demo (an Akan phrase which means “we won’t pay”) against the introduction of the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
The protest, which was also spearheaded by the NDC, had representation from some other political parties, Civil Societies Organisations, and other identifiable groups.
Ahead of the protest, a host of other pressure groups and civil society organisations expressed their willingness to join the NDC in the ‘Yentua Demonstration”.
Some of the groups included the ‘Justice 4 Ghana’, led by Mr. Bernard Mornah, as well as some aggrieved NABCO trainees.
Arise Ghana Demo:
Arise Ghana, an amalgamation of groups and individuals, organized a two-day street protest in Accra to highlight the rising cost of living in Ghana, as well as to highlight some of the issues of misgovernance in the country.
Despite a court order relative to the time and route of the protest, the leaders insisted on following a route other than the one ordered by the court, with an insistence by the police that they obey the agreed-upon route resulted in the skirmishes.
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The first day of the protest turned chaotic, with the police clashing with protestors, leaving a number of them injured.
Others were arrested by the police for their roles in some violent acts that were perpetrated by the protestors.
Bernard Mornah was among the main organisers of the protest that also saw several thousands of Ghanaians on the streets, demonstrating against the government of the day amidst a very heavy police presence.
Justice For Ghana Protest:
Justice for Ghana, a group led by former Peoples National Convention (PNC) Chairman, Bernard Mornah, planned a picketing exercise at Parliament House in December 2021.
Although the police secured an injunction against the group, stopping it from entering the premises of the legislative arm of government, Mornah and his people still made it to the venue but only picketed from the entrance of the House.
The Justice for Ghana protest was against the implementation of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.
Aagbe Wo Demo:
On Thursday, February 7, 2019, hundreds of Ghanaians from all walks of life joined the Inter-Party Coalition for National Sovereignty's 'Aagbe wo' demonstration to protest the increasing rate of violence in the country.
According to the Coalition, the clashes at one polling station during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, which resulted in the shooting and injuring of about six people, pushed them to organise the demonstration.
The procession of MPs and members from the various opposition parties presented a petition to the Interior Ministry.
In a statement signed by the convener of the Coalition, Bernard Mornah, the protest was to send a clear signal to the government to check the level of insecurity in the country, which they say is threatening the country’s democracy.
Y33 Wu Demo:
On Thursday, September 19, 2019, Bernard Mornah, the Convener of the Coalition for National Sovereignty, held the ‘Y33 Wu' demonstration in Kumasi.
The demo was to register their displeasure with the government against the harrowing economic hardship, the insecurity, and the epidemic outbreak of corruption in the country.
The group was joined in this struggle by the national leadership of political parties in the Coalition and Civil Society Organizations from across the country.
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