By Umaru Sanda Amadu
ACCRA
Thousands of people, including celebrities, on Saturday staged a march in Ghanaian capital Accra against repeated electrical power cuts across the country.
The march, which included a candlelight vigil, was organized by several Ghanaian celebrities.
Carrying candles and lanterns, march participants walked for almost two hours.
Some participants also carried fire pots and other objects to demonstrate their anger at repeated power outages in the country's houses and workplaces.
March participants included students; business owners; teachers, and politicians.
"The people of Ghana deserve to have electricity in their homes," D-Black, a Ghanaian musician, told Anadolu Agency during the event.
"We pay our tax and our bills," he added.
He said the government always failed to honor its promises when it came to supplying Ghanaians with electrical power.
He said he and other march participants were out to speak for Ghanaians whose voice could not be heard.
"I hope we will have explanation from the government as to why this is happening," D-Black said.
Loud music, which characterized protests in Ghana's streets, could not be played on Saturday because of a ban in respect for Ga people, one of Ghana's ethnic groups.
The Ga Traditional Council had earlier called on march organizers to postpone Saturday's event until the ban is lifted next month.
"I am a student and I need to study for my exams, but I don't have electricity to do so," Kwame Ahenkora, a march participant, said.
He even called on the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, to leave.
Another march participant was Kwame Karikari, a university professor, who said electricity cuts had a negative impact on his work.
"I can't do power point presentations or any technology in my class" he said.
"I can't use my computer as I would want to," he added, noting that power outages sometimes forced him to cancel out his classes.
Addressing the crowd, Ghanaian actor, Yvonne Nelson, expressed hopes that the government would listen.
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