Ghana Drunkards Association Threatens Nationwide Protest Over High Alcohol Prices

The Ghana Drunkards Association has given the government a three-week deadline to take action on the high alcohol prices, despite the recent surge in the value of the Ghanaian cedi.

In a video posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the group’s president, Moses Drybones, voiced frustration over the rising cost of alcoholic drinks.

He noted that although the cedi has strengthened significantly against major foreign currencies, alcohol prices continue to climb, hurting both consumers and local vendors.

According to the group, while some goods have seen price reductions in line with the cedi’s recent recovery, alcoholic beverages remain costly.

They questioned why alcohol hasn’t followed the same trend, especially with the cedi now trading at about ₵10 to the dollar, compared to ₵15 at the start of the year.

“To date, the prices of alcoholic drinks keep going up. If you purchase alcohol, there is an increment of about 15%, and this affects vendors,” Obuah stated.

“We’ve learnt that the cedi has gained some strength and the price of some items has been reduced. However, the cost of alcohol remains high,” the association’s representative states.”

The association has called on former President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Trade and Industry to step in.

They’re urging a sit-down with government officials to discuss how prices can be adjusted downward.

If their concerns are ignored, the group says it’s ready to mobilize its members—who they claim number around 16.6 million—for a nationwide protest.

“We are therefore calling on President John Dramani Mahama and his Minister for Trade and Industry to do something about the prices.

“We have given them a three-week grace period to meet us so we can deliberate on how to reduce the prices of alcohol. We are not making this call for only alcoholic drinks but for the non-alcoholic ones as well.

“If the grace period is over and there’s no action, about 16.6 million members nationwide will stage a demonstration,’ he said.

Their threat comes amid reports that the cedi is now the best-performing currency in the world this year, with a nearly 50% gain against the U.S. dollar, according to Bloomberg.

The association argues that this currency boost should have translated into more affordable imports including alcohol, but say those savings haven’t trickled down to consumers.

KanyiDaily recalls that Ghanaian adult film star, Daisy Melanin recently announced plans for a new video featuring herself and 10 men after her recent video with six men went viral.