Grand independence celebration cancellation must achieve targeted impact
The Ghanaian Times welcomes the Mahama government’s cancellation of what it describes as the ‘grand observance’ of Ghana’s independence anniversary for a modest celebration at the Jubilee House that will be replicated at the regional and district levels.
The modest celebration at the Jubilee House, among other activities, will involve a military guard of honour to be reviewed by the President, a cultural performance by two groups of basic school pupils and an impactful poetry recital by a senior high school student.
Chiefs, religious leaders, basic, secondary, and tertiary students, traders, political party representatives, and other sections of society will attend the ceremony at the Jubilee House on March 6, the country’s Independence Day.
It has also been announced that the celebration will be complemented or heralded by the President’s ceremonial address to the nation that draws attention to the significance of the day.
The Ghanaian Times hopes that the organisers of both the district and regional celebrations would do well to organise their activities to fit into the national event at the Jubilee House so that no part of the country would miss out on the President’s speech in particular.
Besides, no Regional Co-ordinating Council or District Assembly should over-spend its budget for the anniversary and come to give excuses.
The rationale for a modest independence celebration is to reduce the associated huge costs incurred over the years.
If the government were to stick to the status quo, obviously, the country would expend more than the GH¢15 million spent in 2023 on the rotational national celebration in Ho, the Volta regional capital, in addition to increased regional and district budgets.
Much as it would only be in the wildest of imagination of anyone to suggest the cancellation or suspension of the country’s Independence Day celebration, President Mahama’s prudent move this year should prompt the nation to think of marking the day in different ways other than the usual parades and receptions to save money to meet, at least, some of the country’s compelling needs.
It will be recalled that in November 2015, the then Tanzania’s newly-installed President, John Magufuli, announced the cancellation of the celebration of Independence Day ahead of the observance on December 9 and ordered a clean-up campaign instead.
He said it would be “shameful” to spend huge sums on the celebrations when “our people are dying of cholera”.
A week earlier, he had ordered the cost of a party to inaugurate that country’s new parliament to be slashed from $100,000 (£66,000) to $7,000; check the drastic reduction.
President Mahama’s move is akin to that of now the late President Magufuli and it is something other African leaders must learn to do.
Obviously, activities involved in independence day celebrations like the receptions can bring huge costs.
Though President Mahama is driving the country to depart from the usual heavy-cost-incurred celebration of Independence Day, there still will be cost to be incurred, in which case some of those privileged to organise associated activities can take advantage of to short-change the country.
To these people, The Ghanaian Times appeals that they should be mindful of this year’s theme: “Reflect, Review, Reset” and avoid any corrupt practices.
They should not behave like some entrepreneurs doing ‘reduction sales’ who first increase the prices of their goods arbitrarily and later reduce them to their original prices or even a bit higher than the original prices.
The public would be happy to know what would have been the cost of a grand celebration of this year’s Independence Day celebration as against that of its modest marking.
