President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Ghana Armed Forces, HE John Dramani Mahama has admonished Ghanaians to celebrate and enhance the nation’s successes chalked over the years, while the country continues to work in order to minimise her failures.
He said it was worth revelling in the liberation of the country from colonial rule, even as positive strides are being made to better the lot of Ghanaians and the country at large.
The C-in-C made these remarks during a ceremony to mark the celebration of the 58th Independence Anniversary at the Black Star Square in Accra, on Friday 6 March, 2015.
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| Prez Mahama inspects the parade with the CDS and IGP |
President Mahama noted that Ghana has cause to celebrate in the wake of prevailing challenges in the energy sector, having chalked many successes in other key areas, hence the need for citizens to work together to build upon those achieved national successes.
Ghana, he added remains an oasis of peace, democracy, religious and ethnic tranquility, and as such these precious assets make Ghana a toast of nations in and outside the continent – a pedigree Ghana cannot afford to lose.
He further mentioned that partisan politics and purposeless lamentations about the nation’s challenges as well as the tendencies that have the potential of wreaking havoc must be eschewed if the forward-march of the independent nation – Ghana is to be realized.
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| Prez Mahama light the perpetual flame at the cenotaph of the square |
“We cannot sacrifice our Ghanaian character of ethnic and religious harmony on the altar of political bigotry. I pledge to continue to do all in my power to promote an atmosphere of political rapprochement in order to diffuse any tensions that will threaten our national wellbeing and I expect that all political leaders will do same,” the president said.
President Mahama stressed that the demographics and politics of the nation are changing, therefore Ghanaians need to have an attitudinal change to match up to this challenge.
He called for a rejuvenation of the national psyche from one that focuses on fleeting challenges and discounts successes chalked over the years, to one that embraces greater and sustained efforts towards national transformation.
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| Prez Mahama delivers hos independence address @ the square |
The C-in-C additionally implored the youth (who are the future leaders) to be hard-working and disciplined, since they are tried and tested values needed to shape them into responsible individuals.
“There is no substitute for hard work and discipline, let us consider it an honour to be chosen to work for the country,” he added.
He emphasized that Ghana’s future depends on the youth, their success in academic pursuit and life in general lies in their willingness to embrace hard work and discipline, adding that they are like healthy seeds and the investment made by parents and governments in their education and upbringing are the water and the nursery required for these seed to germinate.
President Mahama rallied Ghanaians to make a collective push to quicken the pace of the country’s march towards socio-economic transformation.
The 58th Independence Day celebration was preceded by an awards ceremony which saw 20 students decorated with Presidential Independence Day awards for excellence in last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) on the eve of the March 6 parade.
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| 20 students who were decorated with Presidential Independence Day awards on the 58th independence Anniversary eve |
Instituted in 1993, the Presidential Independence Day Awards scheme was initiated to recognize and reward exceptional performances by students in the BECE across the country.
Originally, a student each from the ten regions was awarded until the number was increased to twenty – to make provision to award a boy and girl each from the regions upon recommendation from the Ghana Education Service.
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| Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur speaks to awardees at an event organised at the state house |
Among a raft of activities that added colour to this year’s celebration included an Air assault display, a rappelling team of 5 officers and 14 men and women who conducted a mock exercise and the ceremonial fly-past by troops from the Air Force, a display by a novel all-female police dispatch team from the Nima Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department and the march past by special forces drawn from the various security services.
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In all, 1200 teachers and students took part in the march past while a total 58 officers, and 1226 men and women drawn from the special force of the Ghana Armed Forces and Police service, and special force contingents from the Prison service, Fire service, Immigration service, and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority were on parade commanded by Colonel John Obibabeyeh Dan Kuseh.
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| A novel all-female dispatch riders contingent from the MTTD |
This year’s celebration were under the theme: “Achieving Transformation through National Unity.”
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| A section of the marching contingent from the Ghana armed forces special force |
Dignitaries present at the Anniversary ceremony were the Former President Jerry Rawlings and wife Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Former president John Kufuor, Ministers of state, the Chief of the Defence Staff –Vice Admiral Matthew Quashie, Chief of Naval Staff – Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro, Chief of Army Staff –Major General Richard Kwame Opoku-Adusei, Chief of Air Staff – Air vice Marshall Michael Samson-Oje and other high-ranking officers of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Others were the Inspector General of Police – Mohammed Alhassan ,heads of sister security services, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Political Party leaders, students and members of the public.
Photo credit:GAF-DPR & citifmonline
By Kingsley Komla Adom
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