By Iddi Yire
Accra, March 06, GNA – On the occasion of Ghana’s 68th Independence Anniversary Celebration, President John Dramani Mahama has called on Ghanaians to reflect on the country’s journey so far as an independent nation.
Speaking at the national parade to mark the day at the forecourt of the Presidency in Accra, President Mahama said Independence Day celebrations served as an opportunity for Ghanaians to remember their nation’s struggle for freedom and to honour the sacrifices of their forebears who led that struggle for self-rule.
“It reinforces our national identity, our unity, and patriotism, while offering a moment for reflection on our progress and the challenges ahead,” President Mahama said.
“It presents an opportunity for us to recount our history, picking the lessons it teaches, and thereby forging a new path for progress and development.”
The President said Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of the nation, envisioned an industrialized, self-reliant Ghana whose citizens had the highest standard of economic life and the greatest sense of self-esteem rooted in patriotism and Pan-African unity.
He said on February 24, 1966, a joint military and police coup d’etat shattered that dream, plunging Ghana into decades of instability and military takeovers; stating that “the verdict of history is now loud and clear”.
He said the classified documents from the United States archives revealed that this was a coup inspired and engineered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
This, he said remained the most regrettable and darkest moment in Ghana’s history.
President Mahama said that moment sparked a series of historical events that ssettle country back and significantly delayed attainment of the objectives of nationhood.
“These independence anniversaries must therefore be a moment of reflection, not on what we have done for ourselves, but on how well we have stewarded national assets for those we will hand them over to in the future. Our story cannot be one of missed opportunities,” President Mahama said.
“It will be one of continued efforts to achieve far more than we can boast of now. Posterity will not accept our failures or take them kindly.
“As president, I’m committed to providing the bold leadership and the clarity of vision that is needed to navigate the turbulent economic waters we are sailing in currently, while safeguarding our future.”
He said discussions about Ghanaians’ independence often highlighted reliance on imports, on donor aid, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailouts as signs of continued dependence.
He said this reminder was repeated so often that while undeniably real, it raked becoming a cliche.
“Yet the entire efficacy of this reminder lies not in just repeating it, but in our willingness to take decisive action.”
The President said actions that would break the chain of dependency, not just the empty rhetoric of an Africa that was beyond aid.
He said proclaiming self-reliance while marching straight back to the donors, into the hands of the donor agencies, begging bowl in hand, was really meaningless.
The President noted that to break the cycle of dependence and reset Ghana’s economy, his administration was formulating policies based on fiscal discipline and living within the country’s means.
“We are striving to expand our economy to yield prosperity for all, and to do this we must look within and make sure that we are raising revenue domestically,” he stated.
President Mahama said, his administration was working to implement the 24-hour Economy Programme to ensure to ‘resurrect’ the economy.
This, he said would allow Ghanaians to create the necessary job expansion, boost productivity, increase their exports capacity, and trade footprints, and also reduce their dependence on foreign aid.
He said the $10 billion big push initiative would also modernize their infrastructure, create jobs and stimulate local industry, showing that development was driven from within, rather than funded from outside.
The 68th Independence Day Celebration parade on the theme “Reflect, Review and Reset”, had former President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania as the special guest of honour.
Also in attendance were Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, former Presidents: Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and John Agyekum Kufuor.
GNA