Ghana Is 61!!

Hurray!! Today Ghana’s Independence Day. It’s a holiday that commemorates the end of British colonial rule in the then Gold coast and the beginning of self-rule on 6th March 1957. So, although we didn’t celebrate it in as grand a fashion as our 50th, the whole of Ghana was still quite lit up. It’s a day when we cover the whole country in glorious red, gold, green and black. We reconcile our past with our present and look ahead to a brighter tomorrow. We’ve come a long way as a country; from dark days of political instability to our current state of peace and growth. We have a lot to be proud and thankful for as a nation. We have consolidated and deepened our democratic credentials and we now stand as a model in democracy in the sub region and the whole of Africa. We are a peaceful nation with young and vibrant youth, friendly and hospitable.

Personally, I love the current policy direction our we’ve decided to adopt – ‘Ghana beyond Aid’. I believe its high time we put on our big boy pants and stand up, without any crutch. The month of March has also been declared a heritage month and we’re doing everything Ghana and celebrating our cultural uniqueness. In fact, we’re eating, drinking, dressing and living GHANA!!!.

Next time you’re looking around for a place to visit in Africa, feel free to consider Ghana and stop by. The weather is fantastic (albeit incredibly hot sometimes) and were currently entering the rainy season(hopefully). There’s lots of sights and scenery that will thrill, excite and make for an absolutely wonderful touring experience. Some of these destinations include the Boti falls, the Kakum National Park, the Mole Park, the upcoming paragliding festival on the Kwahu ridge, Mt Afadzato(the tallest in West Africa) and so much more!(I think I’ll be doing a special feature on some of these destinations soon).

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind Ghanaians that ‘change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle’. We should cherish what our forebears did for us and strive to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana. We tend to undervalue what we have because we’ve always had it. Let’s us remember the sacrifices that were made that we might get where we are today.