During Ghana’s 66th Independence Day Anniversary celebration which was held at the Jubilee Park, Koforidua, the Honourable Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong urged Ghanaians to count the many blessings and achievements chalked in the past 66 years
of the country’s independence and not talk it down unnecessarily all the time. He indicated that not-withstanding the country’s challenges, adding that, if nothing at all, the nation has been spared of the ravages of civil wars and other social upheavals that other countries on the continent have suffered.
Paying tribute to the founding fathers of the nation for their hard work, Hon Acheampong said, Ghanaians were justified to celebrate the collective energies and sacrifices the forebearers made for the country’s independence and the freedom from the clutches of British imperialism, and the final achievement of the struggle of successive generations of Ghanaian patriots to establish a free, sovereign nation.
Touching on the theme for the 66th Independence Day Anniversary Celebration; “our unity, our strength, our purpose”, Hon. Acheampong called on Ghanaians to think as one people, unite and work hard to bring prosperity and progress to the country while noting that, “sustainable development in any society and country largely depends on the spirit of unity.”
Touching on the beauty of Ghana’s cultural diversity and the need to live peacefully with one another, Hon. Acheampong pointed out that, “Ghana is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society; It is a land of diversity, people of different religions, customs, cultures, and traditions; that have different festivals, fashion, and lifestyles; despite all these variedness, Ghana remains one nation; it seems as if the whole country is bound with an invisible common thread.”
On politics, the President’s representative in the Eastern Region praised the various political parties and other stakeholders in the political environment for their contributions to the 31 years of an uninterrupted period of stable and constitutional governance during the Fourth Republic, the longest in the history of the country.
He said, even though, the country’s political history might not always be the most edifying, the citizens should be proud and cherish the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the 1992 Republican Constitution. He reiterated that the government under the leadership of the President’s commitment to making life better for the people in a more peaceful and stable environment remains on course.
Addressing the Students and parents during the parade, Hon Acheampong affirmed the government’s resolve to make education quality and accessible to all children of school-going age through the Free Senior High School Policy and the implementation of other programmes such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET).
He, therefore, advised the students to focus on their studies, work hard to complete their chosen courses successfully to become responsible citizens in the future and eschew any form of indiscipline which has the potential of ruining their future.
In all, 36 contingents formed the parade under the command of Capt. R. B. Gyau and Capt L. Nagbija of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The contingents were made up of 8 security services, 8 School cadets, 5 Senior High Schools, 14 Basic schools, and a Special School from Koforidua School for Deaf at Jubilee Park to mark the occasion. Awards were given to schools that distinguished themselves during the march past. The overall best award went to New Juaben Senior High School.
Honouring the programme were the Paramount Chief of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwaku Boateng III, and his elders, Nananom, Eminent Clergy, Hon. Municipal Chief Executive, New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, Service Commanders, Heads of Departments, Teachers, Hon. Assembly Members, Religious and Voluntary Organizations.