The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has presented to President John Dramani Mahama the Democracy Cup at the Presidency in Accra on Tuesday.
The presentation of the cup to the President was to officially invite him to a match between local rivals, Accra Great Olympics and Accra Hearts of Oak, at the University of Ghana Stadium on Friday.
The Presidency was the last stop of the trophy which has been on tour to the Ghana Armed Forces, the Electoral Commission and the Judiciary ahead of the much anticipated match.
Friday’s blockbuster clash will be preceded by a curtain raiser between Parliament and the Judiciary to symbolise the healthy interplay of powers in the country’s democratic architecture.
Instituted in 2024 under the auspices of Parliament, the Democracy Cup was to commemorate the uninterrupted 30 years of the Fourth Republic.
Presenting the cup to the President, the Speaker said the initiative was not just a show-off but intended to underscore the importance of democracy in the holistic development of the country.
“The Democracy Cup is far more than a trophy for a victory of a football match. It is a civil platform that brings Parliament closer to the people by harnessing, unifying, and energising the cultural power of football to deepen the trust in our democratic institutions and rekindle faith in the promise of our democracy,” Mr Bagbin stated.
In his view, by linking football, the identity of the Ghanaian, to democracy, ‘we’ speak the language every Ghanaian understands and by so doing, strengthen the bond between governance and the people.
Proceeds from the game, he disclosed, would be invested in professional FIFA certified training of all physical education teachers in Senior High Schools across all 276 constituencies.
Receiving the trophy, President Mahama concurred that democracy goes beyond election and must be upheld to better the lives of the people.
“Democracy is not merely about elections. It is about accountability. It is about inclusion. It is about fairness and justice. It is about creating a society where every Ghanaian can aspire and achieve regardless of their background,” the President indicated.
According to President Mahama, it behoves the leaders of the democratic space to govern with humility and place the interests of the people above all other interests.
He noted that since Ghana embarked on the fourth republic in 1992, challenges have been encountered but remarkable progress has also been made with a call on the youth in particular to cherish and nurture the democracy as their inheritance.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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