69th Independence Anniversary: President outlines ‘NewGhana’ vision.
President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a national vision for Ghana’s future, calling on citizens to commit to a year of transformative action as the nation counts down to its 70th Independence Anniversary.
“A vision of a Ghana where no child will go to bed hungry. A Ghana where education is accessible and empowering.
A Ghana where health care is affordable and accessible,” President Mahama declared, painting a picture of the “new Ghana” he envisions.
Delivering his address at the 69th Independence Day celebration in Accra yesterday on the theme: “Building Prosperity, Inspiring Hope”, the President looked beyond the current milestone to outline a comprehensive blueprint for the country’s 70th anniversary.
President Mahama emphasised that the upcoming 70th anniversary was not just a date to be marked on the calendar, but a deadline for tangible progress.
He urged citizens to use the coming year to reaffirm a collective mission, including building a nation with world-class infrastructure, digital connectivity from Aflao to Hamile, and an economy that produced what it consumed.
“We have stumbled and often felt disappointed in ourselves, but we have never given up,” President Mahama said, acknowledging the nation’s challenges while celebrating the resilient spirit of Ghanaians.
“Today, we celebrate how far we have come, and when we leave here tomorrow, we must commit ourselves to how far we will go,” he added.
Projections
The President said he had assented to the 24-hour Economy Authority Bill, now law, which would boost productivity and create thousands of new jobs across the manufacturing, logistics, and security sectors.
He also provided an update on the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank, currently in its final stages under the leadership of the Vice-President, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, aimed at providing accessible financing to women-led enterprises.
The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dr Honourable Terrance Drew, whom President Mahama welcomed as a symbol of the “historic reconnection between Ghana and our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean”.
Reaffirming Ghana’s leadership on the global stage, the President announced that later this month, the country would submit a motion to the United Nations to declare slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity”, a move he described as seeking “the justice and restitution that is long overdue”.
“As we approach the milestone of Ghana’s 70th anniversary next year, let us reaffirm our national vision,” he told the gathering.
“This vision is within reach, but it requires our collective efforts,” he insisted.
Charge for the future
President Mahama took time to honour the legacy of Ghana’s founding fathers and all leaders who had shaped the nation since independence 69 years ago.
He paid tribute to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the countless unsung heroes of the independence struggle, acknowledging that “every administration, regardless of its political inclination, has played its part in building the nation we all proudly call Ghana”.
