Independence Day celebration sets K’dua alight
Koforidua, the capital of the President’s home region, Eastern Region, delivered a memorable Independence Day anniversary celebration yesterday as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo presided over the national ceremony for the last time.
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It was the fifth different host of the annual celebration since President Akufo-Addo first presided as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, while the colourful event of culture and tradition, defined by fashion and custom, alongside a parade of security services and schools, gave it a beautiful setting.
Before yesterday, the Eastern Regional capital was awash with Ghana flags, with the streets providing a foretaste of the national Independence Day celebration when coming to the region for the first time.
In the preceding days and weeks, the environment had been sanitised by various organisations as the region braced for an influx of tourists, particularly non-nationals, while rehearsals of drills by the military, police and sister security agencies brought a heavy presence of security personnel to Koforidua.
All that climaxed with the showpiece anniversary at the newly constructed Youth Resource Centre, where the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, sat as guest of honour.
Dignitaries
The Vice-President and flag bearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the Founder of the All People’s Congress, Hassan Ayariga; ministers of state, members of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, members of the Judiciary, Members of Parliament and the diplomatic corps, representing more than 100 countries, were in attendance.
Trade and professional groups, including farmers and market women, as well as army veterans, cultural troupes, among other identifiable groups, were not left out of the historic occasion.
Beyond the packed confines of the event venue, food vendors and curators formed a chaotic pack of traders, parading anything Ghanaian and everything sellable: from local dishes to artifacts and miniature national flags.
As expectations heightened, the President arrived in the midst of a convoy of vehicles and a military squad on horses, amid a heavy security presence. Before he emerged from the car, he was greeted by appellations that touted his Eastern Regional roots.
“He is a son of the region”, a commentator on television said, while women’s groups carried various messages on boards extolling the qualities of Ghana’s fifth President in the Fourth Republic.
Military dexterity
As the crowd cheered on the President after lighting the perpetual frame, a military chopper suddenly flew above, manned by a small crew and flying a banner of a Ghana flag beneath it in an inspiring show of Ghana’s military dexterity.
But even better was the armoury of the country’s military might on display later as the fleet of different army tanks and military ware made a slow entry to the parade grounds.
The parade, which featured 1,042 security officers, was handled mainly by natives of the Eastern Region.
Just before he could deliver his last Independence Day address, two little girls had to pave the way as they took centre stage to tout the achievements of President Akufo-Addo in poetic language accompanied by talking drums, stressing how the flagship Free SHS Policy had offered many children an opportunity to go to school.
Immediately after the highly anticipated speech, more surprises were to follow when a fleet of vehicles, in different brands, filed past in a splendid fashion as being the fruits of the President’s one-district, one factory (1D1F) initiative.
