Security personnel prevent demonstrating teachers from disrupting

Independence Parade

Koforidua, March 6, GNA - Security personnel on Sunday prevented a group of placard bearing teachers protesting against the anomalies in their salaries due to migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure from disrupting the 54th Independence Day Parade in Koforidua. The riot control policemen and other security personnel prevented the teachers who tried on two occasions to break through the security lines to get to the parade grounds to disrupt the celebration. The teachers therefore had no choice but to demonstrate on the road an= d later abandon their plans.

The demonstrating teachers had earlier on Thursday and Friday disrupte= d the rehearsal of school children for the parade on March 6.

On the whole, the Independence Day Parade went on successfully with 88= 0 pupils and students from 19 public Junior and Senior High Schools (JHS) and (SHS), 10 private JHS and SHS and cadet corps from nine SHS in the New Juaben Municipality participating.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Kwasi Akem Apea-Kubi, Eastern Regional Minister, reminded Ghanaians that it was accepted globally that discipline was a necessary tool for national development and progress. He however regretted that, in the country today, senior statesmen and politicians were lambasted on air to make it look as if they were 93nation wreckers or first class criminals".

Dr Apea-Kubi explained that such acts did not motivate individual citizens to offer constructive suggestion for fear of being ridiculed. He said the challenge of the current generation was how to live in peace and harmony with people with divergent views, celebrate the diversity and learn from the past.

Dr Apea-Kubi urged Ghanaians not to allow their differences in opinion or diversity of thought to separate them from each other or be a source of dispute and hatred.

He advised Ghanaians to diligently search for peace, unity, and health= y dialogue that would lead to development, progress and prosperity. Madona JHS came first in the parade, Pentecost JHS came second and KOVOC JHS placed third. At the SHS level, New Juaben SHS came first, Koforidua SHS came second and Pentecost SHS placed third.

Koforidua Technical Institute won the first position among the cadet contingents while Koforidua SHS came second and Ghana SHS came third. All the schools that performed excellently were presented with awards.