President Akufo-Addo wants Ghanaians to redefine their sense of commitment to the nation.
He believes this is the best way to help develop the country, with all hands on deck.
This was when he addressed a small military parade to mark the 64th anniversary celebration of Ghana’s Independence.
The event which was held at Jubilee House (presidency) was a departure from the usual 6th March parade which often takes place at the Independence Square (Black Star Square) in Accra.
“Fellow Ghanaians, this is not beyond us if we put our hearts and minds to it. We can make it and protect our heritage and environment. Let us not allow our energies to be sapped by either the failures of the past or the challenges of today”, he said, with a charge in tow “let us embrace today’s challenges as opportunities for a brighter future.”
To that end, he said “let us redefine our sense of national responsibility and remove any doubt some may continue to have about our ability to manage our own Affairs. Let us devote ourselves to the freedom and welfare of mother Ghana.”
Whiles he admitted to the fact that it is an arduous task, the President “I am confident that with dedication, hard work, honesty and integrity we can fulfill the dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of our nation who envisaged us to be a dynamic, progressive, prosperous and united nation.”
He therefore insisted “we must all step up and play significant roles in the development of Ghana our motherland.”
Being the first to attain independence in the region, the President was an example for the rest of Africa to follow, and much was expected of it.
The President held that though the biggest challenge confronting the nation was putting it on the path of sustained progress and prosperity, and the enhancing well-being of every Ghanaian, his administration since 2017 had put in a considerable amount of work to achieve that objective,
He pointed out that for three consecutive years since 2017, Ghana had one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and became the largest destination of foreign direct investment in West Africa, with global automobile giants setting up plants in Ghana, and others committing to do so.
“The basic tenets of social justice; that is access to education and health Care were being guaranteed for all our people. We have become self-sufficient in food production, and for the first time in a long while exported our surpluses to our neighbors. Sustained efforts through digitization were being made to formalize our economy and we have hastened our critical journey of industrialization and value addition activities whose result would be to create jobs for the teeming masses of Ghanaians.
The President said government was taking required steps to revitalize and transform the economy, assuring that the benfits of the country’s economic recovery “will begin to show a year from now and move Ghana to a situation beyond aid.”
“We should begin to take our pride of place as one of the fastest growing economies, not only in Africa, but also in the world. Yes, from now we should be processing more and more of our raw materials to help create jobs for the millions of Ghanaians. A year from now, more and more children should be having access to education. A year from now every district and region should have a hospital while residents will be able to have decent Affordable Health Care.
He has since askes Ghanaians to remain resolute in the face of Covid-19, with unity, optimism and determination, work to ensure that the country comes out of the pandemic speedily and favorably.
The President appealed to Ghanaians to endeavour to get vaccinated when it gets to their turn and not fall for any cheap propoganda associating it with all kinds od ailments and superstition.
He took the opportunity to advise Ghanaians not to let down their guard on the enhanced hygiene and mask-wearing protocols which have helped in containing the spread of the virus somehow.
“If we are to be successful in building a resilient Ghana capable of withstanding in future external shocks such as covid-19. Then we must all put our shoulders to the wheel.”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent