Ghanaians voted for change on December 7, soundly kicking the butts of the NDC to bring Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP into office, to deliver on their numerous campaign promises.
Whilst delivering on the promises are good ( and we can’t judge that yet) – more important is reining in unnecessary public expenditure and rooting out corruption.
One of the biggest scandals of the NPP’s last reign was Ghana @ 50, which cost such a poor country as ours $75m – ten years later it seems nobody has learned anything.
The President inaugurated a 30 man committee today to plan the upcoming celebrations. It’s debatable why a committee is even needed for such a trivial reason but with 30 members, all of whom would necessarily have to be compensated for their time put into the planning?
The President, somewhat ironically, said during the inauguration of the committee that he wants a modes yet elegant celebration.
“The celebration of our 60th anniversary should be modest, it should take into account our financial circumstances but it also should be elegant and appropriate, we should live in a good feeling about ourselves.” he said.
A 30 member committee is not exactly ‘modest’ but we’ll see the budget and the preparations they make towards this ‘celebration’ for us to make our final judgement. What exactly are we celebrating anyway, that after 60 years as an independent nation we have people dying of cholera every year?
Below are the President’s full remarks at the ceremony and the expected make-up of the committee.
“The celebration of our 60th anniversary should be modest, it should take into account our financial circumstances but it also should be elegant and appropriate, we should live in a good feeling about ourselves.
“On such an occasion, it is fitting and proper that the nation recognises and commemorates the work of some of its citizens – those who have distinguished themselves, those who have contributed to bringing us to where we are today, and a fitting honour accorded to those to whom honour is due.
“No matter the diversity of opinions and the diversity of origins, we are all fully paid-up members of the Ghana project and these celebrations should advance that sense of unity and oneness among us.
“So I have decided that we should have the Planning Committee to begin work today, 26th of January, towards the anniversary, which is some six or seven weeks away, a very short period of time.”
Expected make-up of the committee.
Ken Amankwah – Chairman
Samuel A. Jinapor – Vice Chairman
Eugene Arhin – Secretary
Duke Ofori-Atta
Lord Commey
Sam Ellis
Edmond Boateng
Michael Ofori-Atta
Ama Serwaa Nyarko
Jefferson Sackey
Kwaku Danso Misa – Communication Working Group
Abyna Ansah Adjei – Communication Working Group
Representative from the Vice President’s Office
Director of State Protocol
Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Chief Director at the Presidency
Director Finance and Administration at the Presidency
Director Budget at the Presidency
Representative from State Protocol
Institutional Representation
Representative from the Ghana Armed Forces
Representative from National Security
Representative from the Ghana Police Services
Representative from the Ghana Prison Services
Representative from the Ghana Revenue Authority
Representative from the Ghana National Fire Services
Representative from the Ghana Education Services
Representative from Ministry of Education
Representative from Ministry of Information
Representative from Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts
Representative from Ghana Immigration Services