Independent Republic of Ghana is marked every July 1st to remember the day the first president of Ghana was inaugurated. It is also a day to honor Ghana’s Senior Citizens for the role they played to sustain the national heritage.
Political dissonance in GHANA has changed a ‘statutory’ holiday to a ‘commemorative’ holiday.
Whatever each one is meant to achieve, l remember July 1, 1999, when as Regional Minister for Ashanti, l hosted ‘veteran’ politicians like Baffour Osei Akoto, businessmen like Appiah-Menka, patriots like Dr Kwame Donkor-Fordjour and many more senior citizens from across the political and religious divide.
Like in the previous year in Cape Coast, l saw ‘senior citizens’ sharing jokes, ideas and old time stories among themselves.
I can’t forget the moments when, one after the other, senior citizens shared experiences during the struggle for independence and laughed heartily among themselves.
Today, because it is purely commemorative, senior citizens are going to limit themselves to chatting with only persons in their political colors.
For me, l salute ALL senior citizens who still contribute to upholding our national and African values to remind ourselves that we are a proud people with our norms, customs and identity which cannot be taken away from us.
Long Live our Senior Citizens !
