General News of 2013-03-07

President Mahama urges Ghanaians to embrace change

President John Dramani Mahama has called on Ghanaians to embrace the wind of change even though he noted that change would not come easily.

In an address at Ghana’s 56th independence anniversary at the Black Star Square in Accra Wednesday, the President said there would always be those who wanted to maintain the status quo, even if they did not like the world they lived in and that it was easier for them to complain than to make the effort to change it.

“And then, there will always be those who want miraculous change; they want everything to be perfect by tomorrow and when it is not, they decide they are already bored with the whole process and want no part of it,” President Mahama said.

According to the President, the change he was calling for was one intended to make the country a better place for all and added that “today is a day to celebrate Ghana, and to celebrate ourselves as Ghanaians."

This year’s anniversary is on the theme “Partnership and Innovation for Building a New and Better Ghana.”

The celebration was marked with a parade of schoolchildren and contingents of security personnel at the Independence Square in Accra and in all the regional and district capitals.

Representatives of the President took the national salute and read the Head of State’s speech.

President Mahama noted it was time to feel proud and express love for everyone and everything that had brought Ghana this far and a time to ask, “Where do we want to go from here? And how do we get there?”

He urged the citizenry to reflect on how they would want to be remembered by the next generation stressing that it did not matter who they were, where they came from, who their parents were, what they did right and what their position in society was.

“You have something to offer that will help move this country forward to its next anniversary. It might just be a little change in your attitude to work; it might be an offer of help, however small, to others who need it. It might be the act of mobilising for community action or volunteering at a hospital or clinic,” President Mahama said.

“Any and every contribution toward positive change is welcome. No offer of service is too small or too big to make the necessary impact. No single individual is too big or too small to be part of this process” he added.

To the service men, school children, students and youth who took part in the parade, the President extended to them the appreciation of the nation and described their turn out as impressive.