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President J. A. Kufuor |
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President Kufuor broadcasts to
the nation
Accra, Dec. 31, 2006 - GNA
Fellow Ghanaians
We have come to the close of one year and the beginning of
another. This is a good moment to acknowledge with gratitude
the hand of God in all our positive achievements of the past
year. In thanking Him, we must seek His guidance and greater
blessings for our Jubilee Year.
New Year’s Eve is a watershed, and all round the world
humanity celebrates the event with stock-taking of the
passing year and visions for the ensuing year.
The eve of the New Year is also a moment of different
moods. These include happiness, thoughtfulness, gratitude,
nostalgia and even sadness.
Typically, our nation is equally gripped by the spirit of
this magic period as an opportunity for reflecting on the
passing year which, as you are aware, has been full of
challenges, difficulties and successes.
Significant among the challenges were the sky-rocketing
crude oil prices which hit us from the very beginning of the
year.
Equally troubling were the many industrial actions that
assailed the economy and society from otherwise stable
sectors such as education, health and the public sector
generally.
Regrettably, the year also witnessed ghastly accidents on
our roads and water courses most of which were caused by
reckless driving, defective vehicles and overloading of
boats.
The menace of drug-trafficking became exposed as never
before. Apparently regular and decent individuals were
alleged to be implicated in this dehumanizing trade, and the
fear is that we have not seen the bottom yet. The good news
however, is that the Narcotics Control Board is being
re-constituted and equipped to find solutions to this
problem on a sustained basis.
The incidence of violent crimes increased within the
society. Sadly, the perpetrators were of all ages, including
some minors who apparently were driven by a need to secure
items like mobile phones and other electronic gadgets. These
young people also tended to be under the influence of drugs.
Yet another challenge occurred during the second half of
the year, in the form of unfavorable weather conditions
which affected the major source of our energy, the Volta .
This led to load shedding which impacted negatively on
electricity supply for both domestic and industrial uses.
The cumulative impact of these setbacks naturally led the
populace to wonder whether the economy which had been
performing creditably, could withstand the shocks.
Thankfully, as serious as all these challenges were, they
failed to destabilize the society and economy to the extent
that was feared.
That the situation was largely contained can be attributed
to the inherent strengths that have been developing within
the society as a result of:
Firstly, the openness of social discourse,
then, the increasing understanding of the mechanism of
governance and the maturation of its diverse institutions,
both public and private,
Thirdly, the improving efficiency of macro-economic
management, and incipient partnership between the public and
private sectors for growth,
Fourthly, the gradual but steady improvement in the law and
order situation, as well as the acknowledgement and support
by the international community and development partners for
the country’s good governance practices.
Fellow Ghanaians, it is
becoming increasingly clear to our entire society that ther
is no magic wand of governance that would guarantee instant
and spectacular results. Programmes and projects of
development take time to mature.
In the light of this appreciation of maturation, the year
which is drawing to a close must be adjudged successful. It
has been a year in which the moral and material fabric of
our society has been stretched to the limit, tested and
proven to be resilient and stable. It is this stability that
constitutes the platform for the launch of the much desired
accelerated growth for our national development.
I must at this stage commend our law enforcement
authorities for the appreciable and visible improvement in
the execution of their duty. Naturally, there is still room
for improvement, especially on the level of discipline that
must be expected within their ranks. The authorities should
work to weed out any miscreants that tarnish their image.
On this front, we should acknowledge the substantial
support and co-operation that the forces have enjoyed from
our development partners both locally and internationally,
especially in the area of the fight against drug
trafficking.
Fellow nationals, underlying the unrest on the labour front
were agitations for increased pay. Government has gone ahead
to launch the new pay structure within a framework which
removes distortions, ensures equity and eliminates
unfairness in the system. Already, there have been
substantial increases in salaries across board; and this is
only the first phase.
Henceforth, the governing paradigm of the new framework is
equal pay for work of equal value. What is left now is to
improve productivity in order to put more money into the
national treasury to sustain steady increases in salaries to
levels that give greater satisfaction to all.
My dear friends, at this special time of stock-taking, we
cannot forget our victorious Black Stars. Their brilliant
performance at the recent World Cup Tournament still
resonates around the world. Beyond the massive goodwill that
this has brought to the country, the spill-over returns have
positive economic, political and diplomatic dimensions,
which redound to the good of the nation.
Yet another feather in our cap is the global
acknowledgement of our country as a haven of peace and good
governance on the continent of Africa . We are also at the
forefront of peacekeeping efforts around the world. The
professionalism and good conduct of our forces continue to
be acclaimed. The entire nation is proud of these gallant
men and women.
Speaking of national pride, fellow citizens, this month
brings to an end the successful tenure of office of our
compatriot, Kofi Annan, as the Secretary-General of the UN.
There is no doubt that his tenure has kept the image of
Ghana in the full view of the world, and enlarged her
persona among the community of nations. On behalf of all
Ghanaians, I congratulate this illustrious son of the soil
and wish him a happy and productive retirement.
Fellow citizens, we are at the threshold of the 50th year
of our independence. The Jubilee year is acknowledged
everywhere as an auspicious year. In Biblical terms, it is
the year the heavens pour out great blessings on favourite
nations. Now at peace with herself, Ghana should launch into
the Jubilee year in a manner expected of people who believe
in God’s providence.
There are many events lined up already for the year, right
from January, the first month. We expect many international
visitors.
Under the auspices of the German Head of State, President
Horst Kohler, a programme dubbed “Partnership with Africa
Initiative” which is targeted at the youth, will be held
here in Accra , this month. A number of Heads of State
including Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Festus
Mogae of Botwana, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia and Thabo
Mbeki of South Africa are expected to participate in the
Conference.
The Lord Mayor of the city of London is also expected in
the third week of January. In February, the Deputy Prime
Minister of Great Britain , Mr. John Prescott and UNESCO
will jointly launch a programme on the Abolition of Slavery,
again in Accra .
For the highlight of the celebration in March, we should
expect to see many Heads of sister states and friendly
nations on the continent of Africa and beyond.
In the case of the African nations, their presence will be
in recognition of Ghana ’s seminal contribution to the
struggle for the liberation of the continent.
Among the personalities expected in March will be the Duke
of Kent, whose mother, the Duchess of Kent, deputized for
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, of Great Britain at our
Independence in March 1957.
Prior to the Independence Day Celebration, our own Kofi
Annan will be here to begin a series of lectures to herald
and commemorate the Jubilee.
The rest of the year will witness other major events. Among
these will be an important global meeting of Finance
Ministers for a Conference titled “World Financing for
Development”.
In addition to the Republic Day celebration, July will also
witness two Summits. First the summit of the African Union,
and then a major meeting on the African Growth and
Opportunities Act (AGOA) of the United States of America.
These many events should convince us, as Citizens of Ghana,
that the year 2007 is truly an auspicious year for our
nation; a year in which Ghana is being acknowledged with
appreciation and goodwill for our development and our good
governance by much of the world.
This level of international appreciation should unite all
of us to share a common vision and move on with confidence
in pursuit of our common agenda for the total and
accelerated development of our nation.
Fellow Citizens, I invite us all to reflect on our common
heritage and all that unites us. This should begin with a
focus on the solemn prayer which precedes commencement of
business every morning in our national Parliament. The
prayer reinforces the words of our national anthem that
urges us to resist the rule of oppressors, and I want to
quote it here.
“O God, grant us a vision of our
Country, fair as it might be,
A country of righteouness,
where none should wrong his
neighbour;
A country of plenty, where evil
and poverty shall be done away
with,
A country of brotherhood, where
all success shall be founded on
service, and honour shall be
given to the deserving;
A country of peace, where
government shall rest on the
will of the people and the love
for the common good.
Bless the effort of those who
struggle to make this our
vision a living reality,
Inspire and strengthen our people
that they may give time,
thought and sacrifice to speed
the day of the coming beauty of
Ghana and Africa .
Fellow Ghanaians, imbued with the spirit behind these
words, we should be able to celebrate the lives of great
achievers of our nation in the areas of statesmanship,
education, enterprise the cultural arts, and intellectual
pursuits.
We should find it in our hearts to engage in positive
thoughts that recognize value in each one of us and which
encourage us to be each other’s keeper.
This is a sure way to strengthen national cohesion for
sustained national development.
My brothers and sisters, in the coming year, government
will be pursuing policies aimed at empowering the citizenry
in general, and especially the Private Sector. This Sector
must challenge itself to become an important player in the
global economy and government will support it.
Other impending programmes for the year include the
redenomination of the cedi. This signifies the growing
strength of both the economy and the currency.
On course as well is the exercise to issue all citizens and
permanent residents with national identity cards. The
success of this exercise should facilitate effective
planning for national development.
Fellow Ghanaians, however much we differ on issues, there
are moments that should bring us together. One such moment
is the Golden Jubilee of our nation’s independence. We
should rejoice in the fact that in spite of the many periods
of uncertainty and difficulties in the last fifty years, we
have managed to pull together as a nation to this day.
We have come to a stage which the world is acknowledging as
promising for success. We have given ourselves a functional
democratic constitution that is standing the test of time.
The rule of law has become the order of the day and
underpins the good governance which is giving meaning to our
national motto of Freedom and Justice.
So fellow citizens, let us resolve to draw a firm line
between our chequered and unhappy past, and a future full of
hope, achievement and fellow feeling. With such resolve we
cannot fail.
Given the solemnity of the celebration, the highlight of
which falls on the 6th of March, let us as a nation usher in
that very special day by holding vigil on its eve.
Fellow Ghanaians, the Jubilee Celebration is a unique
opportunity not only to demonstrate our unity as a nation,
but also to highlight the many opportunities for commerce,
business and tourism. It is the occasion to bring to the
fore our famed arts and culture and our traditional warm
hospitality.
I appeal to the entire nation to display a high sense of
responsible citizenship, dignity and commitment to the
success of the Jubilee Celebration. Sprucing up the home and
the environment should be part of the commitment. The sense
of pride in our environment ought to be on display not only
for the occasion but for all times.
“I therefore urge all of us including the District
Assemblies, traditional authorities, religious groups,
market leaders, the trades unions and the entire civil
society to join together to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of
our nation in a befitting manner.*
But before I conclude, let me leave a special word to the
young people of Ghana. The future belongs to you. Fifty
years ago I was a teenager looking to the future with great
hope and expectation. Unfortunately, the experience had not
been half as good as most young people of my generation
dreamt it will be.
I want to speak on behalf of the elders and adults of this
nation and say that, with our resolution of today, we are
prepared to set things aright and sustain them, so that the
path will be easier and smoother for you.
But one thing is sure, you must use every opportunity to
prepare yourselves diligently so that you will not fail this
nation and yourselves when your turn comes. Seize the moment
and become worthy citizens of our country.
Now, let me wish each and every one of us a happy,
prosperous and peaceful New Year and a Blessed Golden
Jubilee of our nation’s Independence .
Fellow Ghanaians, it is now my historic and unique good
fortune as President of the Republic of Ghana to declare the
Golden Jubilee Celebrations duly launched.
Long Live Ghana.
GNA
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