Kumasi Metro Commemorates Ghana’s 61st Independence Day
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (ARCC), on Tuesday, 6th March celebrated Ghana’s 61st Independence Anniversary with parades of the Ghana Armed Forces, Security Services and School Children.
The parade was formed by 15 officers and 363 security personnel alongside pupils and students drawn from some basic, junior and senior high schools in the Kumasi metropolis.
The KMA security guards and some voluntary organization also took part in the parade which was staged at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi.
Led by the parade commander, Capt. Hope ElormGamorKenol and supported by the mass band composed of the military, police and prisons service alongside school bands from T. I Ahmaddya, Opoku Ware and Good Shepherd Schools, the smartly dressed contingents engaged in slow and quick time march past to the admiration of the large crowd of people that had gathered at the Jubilee Park to participate in the celebration. There was also cultural display to add color to the event.
The Ashanti Regional Minister Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah and the Regional Education Director, Mrs. Owusu Achiaw reviewed the parade.
In a speech to mark the Independence Day, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah, reflected on the theme for the celebration, “Ghana beyond aid” and said to achieve this “we will have to effectively harness our own resources and creatively and efficiently deploy them for rapid economic and social transformation”.
That, he said, would require hard work, enterprise, creativity and a consistent fight against corruption in public life. He also said it would require that “we break from a mentality of dependency and adopt a confident can-do spirit, fuelled by love for our dear country”
Awards were presented to deserving schools that took part in the parade. YaaAsantewaa Girls Senior High School was adjudged the best performing school while the best performing cadet school went to Anglican Senior High School. The State Experimental Junior High School received the award for best performing JHS with the best performing basic school award going to Osei Tutu basic school.
In attendance at the Independence Day celebration in Kumasi were the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Madam Elizabeth Agyemang, the Kumasi Mayor, Mr. Osei Assibey Antwi and some Kumasi MPs.
Also present were the General Officer Commanding the Central Command (GOC), Brig. Gen. C.B Alhassan, Regional Security Heads, the Asantehene’s representative Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu AsareAmankwatia VI, metro and Regional Heads of Departments.