President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo says the government is working hard to address the current challenges that confront the nation.
According to him despite the challenges the government had ensured the supply of essential items to prevent the crisis from going out of control.
“Maybe we should also count our blessings and how together, we are managing the difficulties. We’ve all seen the images around the world. Here in Ghana, we have not had any fuel queues. We have not suffered shortages in food and essential items or the catastrophe of dumsor.”
President Akufo Addo said this at the 66th Independence Day celebrations at Adaklu, near Ho, the Volta Regional Capital.
This year’s independence celebration is on the theme: “Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose”.
President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), graced the parade as the Special Guest of Honour.
President Akufo Addo called on Ghanaians to unite and not allow the challenges facing the nation to divide them.
He said major global developments had had a negative impact on the domestic economic performance.
“We’ve witnessed historic heights in global inflation and food prices. Rising global interests rate triggered by the tightening of monetary policy of central banks across several advanced economies to tame rising inflation and energy crisis with crude oil prices reaching unprecedented heights at one point above $120 a barrel”.
“The strengthening of the United States Dollar against all other currencies, the tightening of global financing conditions, especially for emerging markets and developing economies. It is these that have brought hardships on our people,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo also announced that the government had deployed a number of fiscal measures to help bring relief to the people saying, “I’m confident that sooner rather than later we’ll see significant relief and recovery.”
In 2017, President Akufo-Addo decided the independence celebration be held on a rotational basis to open the regions to the world to boost the local economy.
This is the first time that the Volta Region is hosting the national independence parade, which commemorates the Day Ghana formally weaned itself from British colonial rule.
A total of 22 contingents from the various security agencies and 12 from the various schools in the Volta Region were on parade, aside from other performances.
The 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho was in charge of the march past where the security services and various schools from the Ho Municipality took part in the parade.
The regional capital was decorated with the Ghana flag, with several offices also draping their buildings in Ghana colours (red, yellow, green) to mark the occasion.
On 6th March 1957, Ghana gained independence after 83 years of British colonial rule – becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from Britain.
The country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana as “free forever” from colonial rule, marking a historic turning point in the governance of the country. Since that day, every March 6 is celebrated across the country and among Ghanaians abroad with various activities.
