Mr Ebenezer Kojo Teye Addo, Central Regional Minister, on Wednesday asked Ghanaian youth to channel their energy, dynamism and creativity into productive things towards national development.
He said: “let us take inspiration from the sacrifices of our forefathers and work hard rather than to seek greener pastures elsewhere”.
Mr Addo made the call when he addressed the 56th independence parade held at the Jubilee Park in Cape Coast, under the theme: “Partnership and innovation for Building a New Better Ghana”.
A total of 1,500 contingents formed the parade, made up school children from basic and secondary schools, school cadet corps, market women, brigades, youth organisations, as well as personnel of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Prison Service.
Present to grace the occasion were traditional authorities, heads of department and a cross section of the general public, who defied the scorching sun to part-take in the celebration.
Mr Addo said that Ghana and many other African nations were making progress, and called on the youth to remain in the country to use their energies and enthusiasm to serve Ghana.
He appealed to school children to desist from negative tendencies such as drug abuse, cyber fraud (popularly called Sakawa in Ghana) that have the potential of ruining their future, and to take their studies seriously.
Mr Addo also appealed to parents, traditional authorities and other opinion leaders to assist children to acquire formal education alongside rich traditional values in order to ensure a holistic up-bringing of young people.
He said the region was the citadel of Ghana’s education since most of the pioneer school in the country were in the region and urged the people to take advantage of the opportunity and channel their resources into the education of their children and wards.
Mr Addo said: “We need to raise the literacy rate in the region, we need to encourage our youth to acquire skills to make them employable. We need to come together to find ways of reducing poverty. As we celebrate the nation’s independence and sovereignty, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves that freedom is a living flame to be constantly fuelled and not a monument to be saluted and revered.
“Ghana’s freedom and Africa’s freedom must be an eternal flame to be continually fuelled by all governments and people because it defines our humanity”.
Mr. Addo said although the nation was confronted with enormous challenges like the provision of potable water, balanced diet, decent accommodation and quality education, “under the NDC administration and the able leadership of President John Dramani Mahama these numerous problems are not insurmountable”.
He said since the responsibility of nation building rests on the shoulders of nationals themselves, Ghanaians should strive to build Ghana.
Deserving students who took part in the march pass were presented with certificates of participation.
