Overview of Ghana @ 50

Accra, March 6, GNA - Momentous, festive and the pinnacle of Ghana's
Independence celebrations is March 6 and delightful President John
Agyekum Kufuor has asked the citizenry to give thanks to God for how
far he has brought the nation.
Giving to Caesar what belonged to Caesar, he gave the political
outline of Ghana's independence and lauded the first President of
Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his colleagues from the United
Gold Coast Convention who, in 1947 launched the last phase of the
process towards independence.
In his anniversary speech at the fortified Independence Square
adorned with the national colours, He paid tribute to Dr J.B. Danquah,
Paa Grant, Edward Akufo-Addo, William Ofori-Atta and Ako Adjei, who
initiated the process of political emancipation.
"But above all, let us give thanks and praise for the many
Ghanaians throughout the years who have worked anonymously and often
without reward to make our nation what it is today."
Spotting a deep grey suit with a white shirt to match, he used
his historic address to attempt to close the Busia-Danquah and
Nkrumaist divide by praising heroes of the one-time bitterly opposed
political traditions for their efforts at gaining independence for
Ghana.
The lips of the President acknowledged the contributions of
Nkrumaists of blessed memory such as K.A Gbedemah, Kojo Botsio, Kofi
Baako, Krobo Edusei and Imoru Egala.
His political reverence also went to the Busia-Danquah tradition,
where he draws his inspiration and listed names like Professor Kofi
Abrefa Busia, S.D. Dombo, S.G Antor, Victor Owusu and Joe
Appiah.Cheers from the thousands of people who had filled every space
to mark
the Golden Jubillee heralded President Kufuor's arrival to the parade
in the company of a Police Constabulary.
The enthusiastic crowd who wanted to have a good view of
proceedings surged forward to the parade grounds thus given the
security personnel a hectic time.
The smiling President waved enthusiastically to the crowd and took
the National Salute.
He proceeded to inspect the Guard of Honour mounted by the about
1,800 security agencies including a contingent from the First
Battalion of the Scots Guards of the British Army.
He lit the perpetual flame, which immortalises the blood shed for
the course of Ghana's independence.
There were Muslim, Christian and traditional prayers to depict
the religious tolerance and interdependence in the country.
President Kufuor exchanged greetings with the chiefs and other
invited guests including, Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, his
colleague head of states such as President Olusegun Obasanjo who was
the Special Guest.
The Heads of State and Governments of Gabon, Benin, Togo and
Equitorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Cape Verde, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi and Cote
d'Ivoire helped to transform the common feelings of national pride to
the realms of Pan-Africanism.
Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, represented the Queen of England,
while Secretary Alphonso Jackson led the US delegation.
Also on hand to grace the event, were the immediate past
Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan and his wife
Nane.
Mr Alpha Konare, President of the African Union (AU) Commission,
Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, President of ECOWAS Commission, the
leadership of the main opposition National Democratic Congress led by
Prof. John Evans Attah Mills and other minority political parties were
not left out.
The large number of people including chiefs, politicians and
local and international journalists were clad in the national colours,
and waving miniature flags.
The independence square, displayed new looks. The pavilions have
been provided with plastic chairs and painted with the national
colours with the coat of arms embossed on the walls.
The Ghana Police Service also conspicuously wore a new deep blue
uniform to replace the black dress that was most unfriendly to the
tropical weather condition.
The President was the Guest of Honour during the parade that
displayed the military might of the country by land, sea and air.
There was spontaneous shouts of joy when personnel of the Ghana
Airforce flew over the square in aircraft that displayed the national
colours and wishing Ghanaians "a happy anniversary.
A gymnastic display by school children also held people spellbound
and attracted protected cheers.
" I am sure you will agree with me that it is a celebration not only
for Ghana but also for the whole of Africa. For March 6, 1957 changed
the outlook of our Continent and its status and role in the world
forever," President Kufuor observed.
"The African on the Continent, who for centuries had been
violated and subjugated through the Slave Trade and Colonialism. That
fateful day succeeded in breaking asunder, the chains of bondage.
Today therefore is as much Ghana's celebration as it is for the rest
of Africa."
"Our destiny is with the most advanced in the human community and
we must pursue it," he reminded Ghanaians. President Kufuor said it
was important for Ghanaians as they celebrated the Golden Jubilee of
political independence, to be reminded that freedom was a living flame
that needed to be constantly fuelled and not a monument to be saluted
and revered occasionally.
"Ghana's freedom, indeed Africa's freedom must be an eternal
flame to be continually fuelled by all Governments and peoples,
because it defines our humanity."
He paid homage to the many young people who bring honour and joy
to Africa's image in their daily endeavours, excelling in the fields
of information technology, finance, sports, fashion and dance.
President Kufuor who chairs the AU pledged Ghana's commitment
to work with the rest of the Continent to develop Africa and its
peoples to gain respectable and dignified place in the mainstream of
the emerging global village.
Nigerian President Obasanjo said it was critical for Africans to
properly understand and appreciate the mistakes of the past so that
they did not condemn their collective posterity to repeating the
vicious cycle that only perpetuated underdevelopment, poverty and
instability.
He noted that the biggest bane of the Continent had been enduring
instability engendered by a stark leadership conflict.
"We substituted military rule for colonially-handed down
democracy and socialism for capitalism without a productive base. At
the height of the Cold War, we became pawns and we toyed with
ideologies that we half-understood.
At the end, we lost out but the fall-out-conflict, violence,
poverty, under-development-remains with us."
The spell of independence that gripped Ghanaians when the first
President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared the country free from
British colonial rule on 6 March 1957, was on Monday re-enacted at the
Old Polo Grounds in Accra.
At 12 midnight, members of the Ghana Actors Guild stood at the
exact spot now transformed into Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum to dramatise
the declaration of independence by leaders of the Convention Peoples
Party, shaking the national monument overlooking the old Parliament
House with shouts of joy.
Ace actor David Dontoh, who played the role of Dr. Nkrumah broke
the silence of the night with a baritone voice that sounded like that
of the First President to declare the famous and historic words:
"Ghana your beloved country is free forever."
"Our Independence is meaningless until it is linked up to the
total liberation of the African Continent," Dontoh declared and thus
bringing Dr Nkrumah back to life.
The large gathering that comprised President Kufuor, Vice
President Alhaji Mahama, President Obasanjo of Nigeria, members of the
diplomatic corps and tourists were later treated to highlife songs and
fireworks that brightened up the skies.
The drama was preceded by various cultural performances by
members of the Guild that depicted unity in diversity of the five
regions of Ghana, Northern Territories, Trans-Volta Togoland, the
Colony, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo that existed at the time of the
declaration of independence.
A dancing group from Malawi also added colour to the night by
performing a show that portrayed the country's colonial struggle.
The politics of decolonisation in West Africa started from 1925
to 1958 with the formation of the West African Students Union.
independence.
Leaders of the Union later became the politicians in the
Sub-Region, including Margai of Sierra Leone, Nkrumah, Danquah, Nnamzi
Azikiwe, Ito Davies and Eyo Ita of Nigeria.
The is an Akan proverb that, "He who deserves wine should not be
given water." Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah and the Convention Peoples Party and
other political heavy weights had done their best for Ghana and all
Ghanaians must be grateful for the blossoms when they eat the fruits.
06 March 07