Tomorrow is Independence Day, and Ghanaians from all walks of life have expressed optimism in the future of the country, believing that the 68th independence anniversary will mark the beginning of the attainment of the dreams of the founding fathers.
In line with the theme for this year’s independence anniversary celebrations, “Building Ghana Together, Expectation for the Future”, most of them who spoke to The Ghanaian Times expressed the hope that a concerted effort would be made to achieve the aspiration of a developed country.
Beyond the rhetoric, they said Ghanaians must commit to a national cause that deals with the necessary concrete and actionable plans that would lift the country from the economic doldrums it finds itself.
SAMUEL AGBEWODE reports from Ho, the Volta Regional capital, that residents of the municipality have urged Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliations, to support the government to build a prosperous nation for a better future.
According to the residents, no single individual or group can develop the country without the support of the rest of the people, so it was important that Ghanaians put their differences aside and support each other to build the nation.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times, the Volta Regional Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr Yaw Semorde, said building Ghana together called for deliberate policy for a national development plan that would guide all governments.
He said there was the need to guide young people and prepare them for the future, but this could only be achieved if there was a comprehensive national development that encapsulated the aspirations of all, irrespective of political differences.
From Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Region, FRANCIS DABRE DABANG reports that residents have expressed their desire to see the government manage the country’s resources for the common good of all.
According to them, the theme for this year’s Independence Day celebration, “Building Ghana Together, Expectation for the Future”, could only be realised if the current generation utilised available resources judiciously.
Peter Atiewin, a teacher of the Aninga Zanga Primary School in the Bolgatanga Municipality, said while urging citizens to commit to national development, the government must equally pay workers salaries commensurate with their work output.
In addition, he said the government must strive to ensure equitable distribution of the country’s resources in order that no one or group is left behind in terms of national development.
For her part, Patience Anaba, also a teacher, said she expected women in the country to work diligently to support the government to deliver on its vision.
She said the emergence of Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as the first female Vice President of the country must serve as inspiration for women to put in their best in the area of national development.
Ms Anaba, however, called on the government to reduce prices of goods and services, to enable the ordinary Ghanaian to be able to afford same.
According to EUGENE AMPIAW’S report, a teacher from Freedom British International School in Accra, Precious Hygenius, has expressed the desire to see politicians change from using false promises as a strategy for winning elections.
‘’It’s my wish that this year’s theme for our independence celebration will bear fruits; it means all of us should put in our best efforts today so that we can reap fruits in the future,” he said.
In addition, he called on all stakeholders, including ministers of state, Members of Parliament (MPs) and Assembly Members, to pledge their loyalty to the cause of the country.
Speaking by telephone, a senior lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Education Winneba in the Central Region, George Asekre, said the country was lagging behind the expected development years after independence, so the celebration of the 68th anniversary must mark the beginning of a new dawn.
DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH reports from Cape Coast that a number of residents of the metropolis have expressed the need to promote a united front in the development of the country.
They contend that running a country like a political party with a focus on rewarding political actors would only worsen the challenges confronting the country.
In an interview, Kwesi Aikins, a trader, said that rhetoric cannot build the country and so leaders entrusted with the mandate to manage it must work towards its transformation.
“We cannot transform the country with the way our political leaders act after winning political power,” he said.
Meanwhile, CECILIA YADA LAGBA reports that the Executive Director of STAR Ghana, Mr Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, has noted that after 68 years of independence, the country has progressed in terms of maintaining its social cohesion more than it is the case with its regional neighbours.
He says, however, that in terms of infrastructure, the country has not done much compared to Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s era, when there was massive infrastructural development.
“In terms of human resources, there’s been progress in gender parity in education, but if you look at the quality of education outcomes, it doesn’t look as if we’ve done much in terms of producing the kind of human resources that we need to move this country forward,” he said.
Mr Amidu has, therefore, called on the government to invest in human capital to achieve quality education, by resourcing professional training institutions to improve standards, especially in technological training.
By Dr Eric Nkansah
