Lessons Must Guide Us

The President, Mr J. A. Kufuor, has asked Ghanaians to let the lessons of the nation's independence to guide them into the next century descring the lessons as quite important and good for citizens of today and the future.

“The occasion has taught us enormous lessons of unity, progress, self-confidence and good neighbourliness which are very good for nation building,” he observed.

President Kufuor was addressing a cross-section of Ghanaians in the United Kingdom as part of his visit to the country.

Ghanaians from all parts of that country arrived in London to listen to their President, who had been hosted by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

President Kufuor said although small in size, compared with other African countries, Ghana was currently the star of the continent in terms of leadership, good governance, peace and stability, true democracy, economic power and human resource.

He expressed optimism that soon the industrial revolution which had started in Ghana would be intensified.

That, according to the President, was basically the result of the conducive investment environment created by his government over the past six years.

He admitted that Ghana had gone through some difficult times in governance, economics, relationships, among others, as a people and explained that “the act of nation building is just like bringing up a child: the child will encounter some difficulties at all the stages of development and even in maturity but now I am happy that Ghana is on track, with the help of all of you”.

President Kufuor recalled that there were only three international banks in the country at the time he took office in 2001 “but as I speak now there are about 10 foreign banks operating in the country”.

He said those banks were now chasing the people to provide credit facilities for them, unlike the past when the people chased the banks but were not successful in their attempts to gain access to credit facilities.

He commended the Ghanaian communities in the Diaspora for their dedication and hard work which had won the country a high reputation.

He cited instances in Italy and France when the Presidents of those countries, on separate occasions, had praised Ghanaians living there for being law abiding and hardworking.

President Kufuor, therefore, asked them to “bring back home such good attitude towards work and time which will raise the nation's economic standards or talk to your folks back home to be conscious of time and develop a good attitude to work”.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, said the government was overhauling the country to give it a better image and status.

He called on the people to rally behind the President and his team to enable them to continue the good work they were doing.

Story by Nana Sifa Twum