A total of 1,452 students drawn from 44 basic and second cycle schools joined security personnel to participate in the 56th Independence Anniversary Parade.
Awards were presented to deserving schools including the three special schools listed as Wa School for the Blind, the Wa School for the Death and the Wa School for the Mentally Disabled persons for their smart turn-out during the march-pass.
Wa Model School took the first prize, Limann Yiri Primary, second and Jonga Primary School, the third prize for the Primary category while Wa Model Junior High School (JHS), Nusrat Jahan Demonstration JHS and Jujeidayiri JHS were also honoured in the JHS category for their outstanding performances.
In the SHS category, Senior Victory College was first, Wa Senior High School, second and Wa Technical Institute, the third position.
Mr Bede Ziedeng, Upper West Regional Minister took the salute during the parade.
He paid tribute to the forefathers of the country whose vision, courage, sacrifice and sense of purpose, which won Ghana independence.
He said the current generation could complement their efforts by sustaining the fight for the country to remain truly independent and a trail blazer in the fight for democracy and peace in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mr Ziedeng said despite the discovery and production of oil and increased revenue mobilisation it was becoming more evident that government alone could not sustain the country’s development agenda.
There was therefore the need to turn to other partners to accelerate the development of the country, hence, the theme for this year’s celebration: “Partnership and Innovation for building a New and Better Ghana.”
The regional minister said the energy crisis facing the nation currently was a clear manifestation that government’s effort to meet the energy needs of the people ultimately should be supplemented by the private sector.
Mr Ziedeng called on the people to use power judiciously to help save energy for productive purposes.
