The Volta regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on President Akufo-Addo to capitalize on Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations to apologize to the people in the region where the event will be held.

According to the regional branch of the party, the President owes it to the citizens in the region to make amends for the challenges endured by the people. It revealed that the government’s failed promises is making the celebration of the freedom from colonial rule meaningless.

“We believe that in order to have this theme to resonate well with all Ghanaians, it would be appropriate for President Nana Addo to use the Independence Day celebration to apologize to the good people of Volta Region for the kind of humiliations he subjected the good people of the Region to during the 2020 voter registration.”
Volta regional branch of NDC

Contained in a statement issued by the Regional Secretary of the NDC, James Gunu, it demanded the release of some GHC126 million from the government as money owed the region. The Volta regional branch of the NDC stated that this amount is the aggregate of the Akufo-Addo-led government’s promise of GHC1 million per constituency per year, which the party says, is in arrears for the past seven years.

The NDC in the Volta Region explained that the joy and enthusiasm that usually characterize the celebration of the country’s independence anniversary is eroding as a result of “unprecedented bad governance, unimaginable levels of corruption and the incredible high cost of living”.

“There is no spirit of patriotism and nationalism in the management of the country’s economy.”
Volta regional branch of NDC

Government urged to channel Independence Day celebration fund to projects

Furthermore, the group noted that it has gathered government is demanding a total of GHC360,000 from all the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) towards the celebration. This, it explained, is unwarranted and government must rescind on that decision.

“The Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 360,000.00) VRCC is asking the Assemblies to donate towards the Independence Day celebration should rather be channeled into poverty eradication projects. We strongly hold the view that these would serve the interest of the people of the Volta Region and Ghana at large.”
Volta regional branch of NDC

This statement comes a day prior to the celebration of the 66th independence anniversary in the Volta Region capital of Ho, as preparations is underway to take the celebrations to that regional capital for the first time. The theme for the event this year is: ‘Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose’.

Meanwhile, former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has called on the government to invest funds reserved for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations on developmental projects instead.

According to her, taking into consideration the current state of the economy, investing money meant for the event into projects that will inure to the benefit of the citizens was a better option.

Speaking on the sidelines of a public lecture organized by the University of Ghana on the country’s 66th Independence, the former Chief Justice urged government to invest the money into a project that will last, rather than the one-day celebration.

“We should celebrate our Independence Day, but to gather and march, does not matter. I think whatever money is going to be spent on this celebration with everybody going to the Volta region, if they had selected a deprived district and built a new school or selected a ramshackle district hospital or health center and upgraded it and named it Independence school or independence hospital, it will be good.”
Sophia Akuffo