Tano South Municipality Marks 61st Independence Day Anniversary

A parade of school children and other agencies has been held at Bechem, the Tano South Municipal Capital, to mark the 61st anniversary of Ghana's Independence.

The MP for Tano South Constituency, accompanied by the MCE for Tano South, Municipal Education Director, Municipal Police Commander and Tano South Municipal Fire Officer reviewed the parade made up of school children, school cadet corps and civil society organizations.

At the end of the march past, all participatory schools were given certificates. At the primary, category, Little Step Academy emerged winner while Bechem Saviour Preparatory Junior High School and Bechem School for the deaf emerged winners at the junior and second cycle category level, respectively.

The programme which was held at the Bechem Presbyterian Senior High School Park saw dignitaries like Collins Offinam Takyi, MCE for Tano South, Hon. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, Member of Parliament for Tano South Constituency, John Dadzi, the Presiding Member for Tano South Municipal Assembly, Benjamin Asabel, Chairman for Tano South branch of the New Patriotic Party, Heads of Department, Clergy, Chief Imam and Nananom in attendance.

In a speech, the MP for Tano South Constituency, Hon. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, noted that Ghana's attainment of independence had also come with challenges such as poverty, corruption, unemployment.

He said since His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assumed office, a number of policies and programmes have been rolled out in the areas of agriculture, education, health, lands and natural resource, among others, to address some of the challenges confronting the nation.

He, therefore, urged all and sundry to support government to implement effective policies and intervention programmes to ensure more development projects were carried out across the length and breadth of the country.

The MCE for Tano South, Mr Collins Offinam Takyi, said Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda was not an empty notion and stressed that since Ghana's peers at independence had done it, Ghana could also do it.

To achieve Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda, Mr Takyi said, all and sundry had to effectively harness the nation's resources and creatively and efficiently deploy them for rapid economic and social transformation.

He said the agenda was plausible through hard work, enterprise creativity and consistent fight against corruption in public life, changing mentality of dependency and the adoption of confident can - do spirit.

He said government was on the right path with the concrete steps to restore the macro - economic stability and economic growth, adding that after a year of disciplined and innovative economic management, the results had been remarkable.

He underscored the importance of honouring those whose toil and sweat had brought Ghana thus far and urged all to collaborate to build upon the past.

Mr Takyi said, even though underachievement might have been a major part of our history, it should no longer be part of our destiny.

He said for Ghana to achieve its destiny, it required a deliberate and quantitative change in all aspects of lives; especially in the structure of the economy, the state of infrastructure, education of young people and acquisition of skills.

He said Ghana could change its fortunes only when the economy was improved through good governance and prudent management of the country's many natural resources such as gold, bauxite, diamonds, oil, timber, cocoa, water and fertile lands.

Mr . Takyi noted that corruption or stealing of public funds continued to hold back the development of the nation and urged all to act and protect the public purse.

He expressed the hope that the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Right to Information Act, if passed would assist in dealing corruption.

He mentioned the recent spate of armed robbery incidents in the country, describing them as totally unacceptable, and giving the assurance that government was working assiduously to re-tool the security agencies to equip them against criminal activities in the country.

The Nifahene and Chairman for the occasion, Nana Awuah Boadi, who spoke on behalf of the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, the Omanhene of Bechem Traditional Council, said the Bechem Traditional Council was well prepared to work with all government agencies and departments to ensure more development projects were brought to the Municipality.

Source: ISD (Barnie K. Agyeman)

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