Politics Day Regions 10 (Dateline) Ejisu (A/R)

Politics Day Regions 7 (Dateline) Koforidua

In Koforidua, sixty-one contingents made up of 1,960 personnel from the security services, youth, civil society groups, school children, school cadets and market associations, took part in the 52nd Independence Day Parade at Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Friday.
The security services on parade comprised the Police, Immigration, Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Fire, Prisons and the Army under the command of Captain Jacob Sedzro.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) George Anko-Bil and the Regional Director of Education, Mrs Renee Boakye-Boaten, took the salute to mark the day.
Addressing the parade, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo called on all to come together as one people with a common destiny to develop the country.
“Let us all put aside recrimination and seek a true reconciliation so that we can build a better Ghana,” he said.
He said the 2008 election was over and a new government had come to power but challenges such as HIV/AIDS, chieftaincy disputes and many other problems in the Region still remained.
The Minister said the challenges could only be surmounted when all irrespective of status, religion or ethnicity united to fight them.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said Independence Day parade showed how far Ghana had come and called on all especially adults and parents to inculcate the virtue of the nation's motto: “Freedom and Justice” into all children.
Prizes were presented to Pope John Senior High School, who came first in the match past at the second cycle institution level while Sarkodee Junior High School (JHS) came first in the JHS level. The Koforidua Senior Technical School Army cadet was adjudged the best.
Dignitaries that graced the occasion were the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South, Mrs Bernice Beatrice Boateng, Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng, members of the clergy and service commanders of the various security agencies.

Politics Day Regions 8 (Datelined) Sunyani

More than 500 personnel from the security services, students from first and second cycle institutions participated in a parade to mark the celebration of Ghana's 52nd independence anniversary at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani.
Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, and Ms Auk Deborah, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Education took the salute.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo expressed appreciation to the people for peaceful Election 2008.
He expressed concern about the threat of HIV/AIDS among the youth, who he described as the future leaders and assets of the country and said children had been the centre piece of independence celebrations so as to nurture them to be proud of the national heritage and to become patriotic citizens.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said available statistics indicated that about 19,849 cumulative HIV/AIDS cases were recorded in the Region between 1986 and December 2008, while 2,555 new HIV/AIDS infections were recorded between January-December 2008.
He, therefore, appealed to nongovernmental organisation (NGOs), chiefs, opinion leaders, teachers, and politicians to help to create the awareness about the pandemic among the people towards its elimination from the society.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo noted that the greatest tool for development given the basic conditions of peace and unity was education, adding; “it is only when our children have access to relevant and quality education that the momentum of development would be enhanced and sustained”.
He said another threat to development of the youth in the Region was the use of illicit drugs and called on chiefs, parents, religious leaders to be at the forefront to help to stem the tide, and advised school children not to yield to the pressure exerted by their peers.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo pledged that the Brong Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council would provide maximum security for potential investors and an enabling environment for their investments.

Politics Day Regions 9 Takoradi

A parade of security agencies, pupils, students and voluntary organisations was held at the Jubilee Park in Takoradi on Friday to commemorate Ghana's 52nd Independence Anniversary.
Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, who reviewed the parade, appealed to civil servants to eschew all negative tendencies and to work hard to give the needed support to government.
He noted that the vision of the founding fathers had not been achieved
52 years after independence despite some modest achievements, and a lot remained to be done and called for all hands to be on the deck.
Mr Aidoo appealed to students to take their education serious and make positive use of every opportunity offered them to prepare adequately to take up responsible positions in the future.
In Shama District, a parade of school children and voluntary organisations marked the anniversary.
Schools that participated in the parade included, Shama Secondary School; Shama Methodist Junior High School (JSS); School for the Deaf; Aboadze Islamic “B” School and Supomu Dunkwa Kindergarten.
Mr David Gorman, Shama District Coordinating Director, took the salute.
Mr Gabriel Essilfie, Member of Parliament for the area, said Ghana's founding fathers sacrificed a lot to gain independence for the country.
He called on Ghanaians to contribute their quota to safeguard the hard won independence and development.
Mr Essilfie urged the youth to take advantage of the opportunities available to improve their living standards and to endeavour to avoid divisive tendencies, and be obedient to their parents.
Miss Faustina Inkoom, Acting Shama District Director of Education, spoke on the theme of the independence anniversary “Unity and Peace, Pillars for National Development”.
She said without peace and unity, there would not be any realistic national development and urged the people to nurture these ideals for constructive national development and progress.

Politics Day Regions 10 (Dateline) Ejisu (A/R)

At Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, four Cadet Corps who took part in the 52nd Independence Day parade collapsed and were rushed to the hospital.

Mr Agyenim Boateng, Medical Assistance in-charge of the Ejisu Government Hospital appealed to school authorities to see to the proper feeding of Cadet Corps before assigning them to undertake strenuous duties.

He made the appeal when the four, who were members of the Ejisuman Senior High School, Bonwire Secondary Technical, and Ejisu Secondary Technical Cadet Corps, collapsed during the inspection of the parade by Mr Solomon Asiedu, Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Co-ordinating Director.

Mr Boateng attributed the cause of the collapse to hunger, fatigue and tiredness and said school authorities needed to ensure that Cadet Corps were properly fed before they were allowed to undertake such duties.

In all, 1,760 pupils and students from 44 schools in the Municipality took part in the parade. The youth wings of National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) also wee represented.

Ejisu Presbyterian Primary was adjudged the best school for the march in the primary division. At the Junior High School stage, Ejisu Presbyterian junior high school came first, while the at the Senior High School level, Bonwire Secondary Technical was adjudged the winner.

Each school was presented with a certificate.

Among the dignitaries, who witnessed the parade were Nana Afranie Okesse IV, Ejisumanhene, Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, Member of Parliament for Ejisu-Juaben and Mr Michael Owusu Dwomoh, Presiding Member of the assembly.