GHANA @ 50 UNITES

It was with a lot of pomp and pageantry that the Ghana @ 50 day (March 6, 2007) was celebrated. Though the celebration is a year-long thing, there is no doubt that the climax was on March 6.

Prior to the 'D' day there were many who had complained about poor preparations and the high likelihood that the day's activities will not be glamorous as the organizers were 'trying hard to make us believe'. What was witnessed in Accra and the other regions were undoubtedly indicative of the efficiency with which the programme had bee planned and implemented. Sure, there were some short-falls in the Protocol area but by and large I believe the day's celebration was a success. The many foreign dignitaries who thronged the country will surely leave with a good impression of our dear Ghana.

For me, one of the most significant impacts the anniversary celebration has had on Ghanaians is the oneness, the unity, the togetherness (think of it, and add all synonyms) that the occasion has brought to Ghanaians.

Few days to March 6, the Ghana flag, appeared in many parts of the country. Many tree trunks as well as fence walls of many buildings were draped with colours of the national flag; the flag had been mounted on street lights tree branches, in front and on top of many buildings, on top of busses saloon cars 'tro-tros' and almost anywhere the flag could be mounted or draped. Indeed I saw some prominent politicians from various political divides who during this period replaced the colours of their political party hanging around their rear-view mirrors, with that of the National flag. Every well- meaning son and daughter of this home-land was undoubtedly, proud to be a Ghanaian. The unity that the Ghana @ 50 celebrations has brought to Ghanaians is so thick you can virtually cut through it.

This piece however, will be one-sided if I fail to touch on the mischief that some unpatriotic Ghanaians set out to engage in, in order to derail this all-important occasion. Led by no other than Mr. Kwesi Pratt, the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) set out right from the on-set to undermine the success of this historic celebration. First, they decided to organize a demonstration on no other day than March 6. When they failed to get the go-ahead from the police, they decided to change the title of their activity, to 'procession'. The committee which was initially established to protest 'high petroleum prices', was now fighting against parliamentary bills and the denial of enough food and drinks for its members, on Ghana's birthday. This in fact is all that Kwesi Pratt and his cohorts were agitating..... to be served enough food and drinks as they relax at the Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum. When members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) saw through Kwesi Pratt's mischief and decided to join in the celebrations, the man (Pratt) was heard on every radio station that would give him the air-time, insulting the NDC. Congrats to the NDC however for deciding to put Ghana first and their political interest last. But……. The founder of the NDC, Ex-President Rawlings was absent from any of the functions marking the celebration. I will reserve my comments on this childish act of Rawlings for another time. For now I will state that the man exhibited gross disrespect to the Council of State, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, and Ghanaians at large. I strongly advice him to control the cold- turkey he is suffering from which is as a result of withdrawal from an over-dose of political power.

All in all, the Ghana @ 50 celebrations so far has been a success. It has greatly unified Ghanaians. The momentum however seems to be dwindling. SO COME ON. LET'S WHIP IT UP!!!!