Yvonne Nelson (middle) and other celebrities with police officers after the meeting
Attacks and threats on Ghanaian celebrities who have been championing a campaign to pressurise the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to fix Ghana’s energy crisis continue unabated, even as the police have cleared the organisers to go ahead with an impending demonstration.
The power crisis, known as dumsor, has been on for the past three years, with the government always shifting the goal post as to how to address it.
Yvonne Nelson, a celebrated actress who has been in the vanguard of the #DumsorMustStop campaign, told DAILY GUIDE that she had started receiving threats over the campaign with other celebrities.
According to Yvonne, she received an anonymous phone call with a male voice from the number, 0307095191, believed to be a National Security number, who threatened her and called her a prostitute.
DAILY GUIDE yesterday placed several calls to the number but it was busy. However, Truecaller – an application – indicated the number belongs to one, Appiah Stadium. This paper could not confirm whether it is the pro-NDC serial caller and political turncoat, Appiah Stadium of Kumasi.
Yvonne said the caller accused her of championing a cause for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader, Nana Akufo-Addo.
The apparently distressed actress went on social media to post a recording of how the unknown male individual yelled abusive words on her on the phone. The caller, she indicated, kept referring to her as ashawo (prostitute).
The number on Yvonne’s phone
‘This is an abusive phone call I just received…Unfortunately he had said so much before I started recording him, chanting about how Akufo-Addo can never be president. This is sad to know that I speak for the country and yet other individuals take it upon themselves to make it political affiliation. This is for all of us! We are the voice of the voiceless. It’s just sad we call these guys our leaders,’ she pointed out in the post.
Yvonne Nelson, Sarkodie (a hiplife artiste) and other top celebrities have for the past weeks been leading #DumsorMustStop campaign to compel government to find a lasting solution to the energy crisis, as they claim it is collapsing the showbiz industry.
Thursday’s threats followed recent social media attacks on the celebrities, mostly the female stars, who had been labelled ‘prostitutes’, ‘menopause ladies’ and other unprintable descriptions by activists of the ruling party, with a former presidential staffer, Halidu Haruna and Effo Dela Coffie, an NDC communicator, leading the attacks.
However, the stars are not deterred by the threats and insults as the number of anti-dumsor campaigners continues to swell.
‘We need our lives back,’ Yvonne Nelson told Citi Fm, an Accra-based radio station, yesterday.
Police Clearance
Yesterday, the Ghana Police Service granted the celebs a permit to organise a vigil on Saturday, May 16, to further intensify the #DumsorMustStop campaign which is gradually turning into a nationwide crusade.
The vigil will take the form of a peaceful procession with candles, torch lights and bobo (a local lamp) among others, from the On The Run Spot, opposite the University of Ghana, to the Green Park, opposite the Villagio at the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange.
Among top stars to be part of the vigil, alongside concerned Ghanaians, are rapper Sarkodie, EL, Van Vicker, Joselyn Dumas, D Black, Ama K Abebrese, Confidence Haugen and Efya.
The rest include Nikki Samonas, Deborah Vanessa, Eddie Watson, DKB and Kweku Elliot.
However, a comedian, David Oscar, who has ruled himself out of the demo, calling the organisers hypocrites, says he is happy with the dumsor situation.
Yvonne Nelson, who announced the vigil on Tuesday, said it was a non-partisan event and welcomed every concerned Ghanaian onboard.
‘The #DumsorMustStopvigil is on Saturday, 16th May; join me and other citizens of Ghana. Strictly non-partisan. This is simply a discharge of civic responsibility to God and country. This is for the many people who lost their jobs because of dumsor. This is for the school children who have to study with lanterns and torches to write exams. This is for the sick people at the hospitals who have to endure dumsor on their sick beds. This is for the many patients who are unable to receive efficient healthcare because of the dumsor. This is for you, me and the unborn generations of this great nation,’ she stated.
Yvonne said the dumsor had disorganised their programmes.
‘Every Ghanaian must join us on Saturday, the 16th of May. They should come out with their candles, bobo, lanterns and anything they have. We just want our voices to be heard as Ghanaians. We deserve better. We will be starting at about 3pm at Legon, specifically at On The Run, and march to Villagio,’ she added.
By Francis Addo
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