Below is the speech made by Ghana president john mahama at the 58th independence anniversary of Ghana at the independence square in greater Accra region.
SPEECH:
Your Excellency Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur
Rt. Honourable Speaker of Parliament
Your Ladyship the Chief Justice
Service Chiefs
Our gallant men and women on parade
Our future leaders, the school children
Fellow Ghanaians
Let me congratulate our security personnel and the school children for the smart and impressive turnout this morning. This morning’s display is a manifestation of what we can do if we work together towards a common objective of national transformation.
This year, we have reformatted the parade to reduce the pressure on our school children who in the past have had to stand on parade for a couple of hours in the scorching sun.
This year the children here have come onto the parade ground only at the time they were required to march past and receive the Presidential acknowledgement. The re-formatting of this year’s parade means that we can think outside the box and change things for the better.
Even the display by the security services has been more exciting and given us a glimpse into what they have to go through to defend the territorial integrity and the safety and security of our nation.
I wish on behalf of all Ghanaians to thank the security services, the school children, and the National Planning Committee for all the effort and work you have put into planning and successfully executing this national celebration.
Our nation is 58 years old. Not far from here, the founding father of our nation, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, pronounced the famous word, “at long last, the battle has ended and thus Ghana your beloved Country is free forever…” Fifty-eight years on, we have a varied report card to show. Watching a popular television station’s news programme yesterday, people were asked what their opinions were about 58 years of independence.
I watched a man who said there was no need to celebrate our independence because he did not believe we had achieved anything in the 58 years of our independence and cited the power shortage as a justification for his conclusion. This was followed by a lady who said we had cause to celebrate because we have chalked some successes and if we continue to work together we can build on those achievements.
Fellow Countrymen and women,
Different personalities, different genders, different conclusions!
If you asked my opinion I will side with the woman. First because women, traditionally, are credited with a great sense of intuition and that is why in the Kings court, when they have been unable to resolve an issue they refer it to “Abrewa”. “Yen ko bisa abrewa” it is often said.
Secondly, it is also known that all individuals and nations that have achieved greatness have celebrated their successes and their failures. Their successes so they can build on them and their failures so they never repeat them anymore.
Fifty-eight years in our history, we have made mistakes and we have chalked successes. We must celebrate and enhance our successes and recognize and minimize our failures.
All of us have contributed to our collective history and would be a critical factor in whether we succeed or fail as a nation.
I daresay that, notwithstanding any mistakes we may have made, our nation is celebrated for our strong democracy, respect for human rights, free expression, ethnic harmony, and above all religious tolerance. That is why I have recently been worried about a few events that have affected the atmosphere of ethnic and religious peace we have enjoyed.
I am sure that our society has the absorbers to withstand these shocks, and that is why my heart was gladdened when I noticed the unanimity exhibited in the demonstration in support of equal citizenship.
The participation of various personalities in this demonstration indicates that on both sides of the partisan divide we are resolved not to allow ourselves to be divided by ethnic or regional sentiments. I am absolutely encouraged by this show of solidarity by our young politicians on the issue of national unity. Each and every one of us, in our ethnic and cultural diversity, contributes in a unique way to make our nation great and strong.
Our diversity must therefore, as I said in the State of Nation Address, be a source of strength and not a weakness. Our diversity should be harnessed and forged into a potent weapon for the realization of our national interests. They should not provide grounds for tearing ourselves asunder.
My brothers and sisters,
I also note that on the issue of religious relations that I sought to clarify as President during my State of the Nation Address, a citizen of our nation has headed to the Supreme Court to seek an interpretation of the relevant clauses of our constitution.
We will all await the highest court of the land to discharge its mandate, but I just wish to indicate that Government is not averse to the use of inter-faith channels and dialogue to resolve any disagreements amongst our different faith groups.
I have therefore only yesterday asked the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to join the National Peace Council in initiating a dialogue to foster an amicable understanding of how to operationalize Article 21 (1) of our constitution. This is without prejudice to any conclusion the Supreme Court of the Land would arrive at in respect of the suit brought before it.
Fellow Ghanaians.
Wonder speach from president john mahama ....... God bless our country Ghana
.... Long live Ghana
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