Ghanaians In Norway Mark Independence Day 

Ghanaians in Norway have marked the 59^th Independence Day celebration with an appeal to stay united.

“Unity is hard but possible,” says Mr Derick Frimpong President of the Ghana Union in Norway who made the call.

“We are leaves of a tree, we cannot live without the tree” adding “we cannot afford to be separate.”

“Working together is much easier than going alone,” he reiterated.

Mr Frimpong who was speaking to members of the Ghana Students´ Association - Oslo (Ghasa –Oslo) stated that the unity he hoped for must not only embrace shared beliefs and values but acknowledging differences in ways that promote respect and appreciation.

“We need to connect with others … and build relationships with people we may not otherwise have met,” and indicated that “networking is an essential part of advancing your career.”

He told Ghanaians to transmit their cultural values into the children they born in Norway.

Mr Frimpong reminded the students to be hardworking, law abiding and emphasized that “if you want to be happy living in Norway you need to accept things as they are.”

The programme was used to debate the topic that “Is Ghana´s Independence Day celebration worth celebrating the way it is done.”

Debaters speaking against the motion stated that organising the Independence Day yearly the same way was not only unnecessary but waste of money and time since it took a lot of funds, time and energy to organise such programmes.

The money that were sunk into such programmes could have been used to build some schools or put drugs in some hospitals to save lives.

They were emphatic that they did not stand against parading, marching and may be displaying the strength of the military in its preparedness to defend the state in times of any aggression.

To them, it was not appropriate to converge yearly march, and go home but there must be creative ways of handling it making reference to Tanzania´s President John Magufuli who scraped the 2015 Independence Day celebration and used the day for clean-up instead.

Others who spoke for the motion stated that since repetitive action fixes knowledge firmly in the mind, the annual Independence Day celebration the way is done would not only remind Ghanaian children about their history but make them know the history better.

They emphasised that the joy and pride expressed by school children during such celebration was a great inspiration that could instil the spirit of patriotism in the children.

Mr Emmanuel Anim who chaired the debate stated that Ghanaians must diversify the aim of the celebration into new areas not necessarily sticking to the status quo.

A poetry recital by Emmanuel Kpeglah, President of Ghasa-Oslo entreated Ghanaians to fight illiteracy, hunger and disease and above all thank God for how far He has brought Ghana.