Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama,
Mr Speaker of Parliament, Hon Ebenezer Sakyi Hughes
Your Ladyship, the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood
Chairman and Members of the Council of State,
Hon. Ministers,
Hon. Members of Parliament,
The Chief of Defence Staff and Service Commanders,
Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Our Esteemed Traditional Rulers,
Teachers, Students and other participants in the Independence Day Parade,
Fellow Citizens
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

Once again, we have met at this important venue to mark yet another year of nationhood and renew our pledge to the service of our dear country, Ghana. Also, today, the nation draws the curtain formally on the year-long Golden Jubilee Celebrations of its Independence.

On behalf of the nation, I thank all our well-wishers, both within the country and overseas, as well as the sponsors of various events that were organized as part of the celebrations. Further, I do acknowledge with the deepest appreciation, the contribution of Ghanaians of all walks of life – traditional authorities, religious bodies, professional groups, educational institutions, commercial organisations, farmers and fishermen, market women, musicians, the youth, children and, indeed, all Ghanaians. It is the synergy of everybody’s effort that has made the celebrations such a huge success.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, time does indeed fly; for on 6th March, 2001, I presided over this parade for the first time as the newly-elected President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. Today, in my 8th year of office, it is with some emotion that I am reviewing this Parade for the last time as the Head of State and Government. Next year, God willing, I shall be watching the proceedings from the stands. Naturally, I am greatly moved. I should say, nonetheless, that I am grateful for the opportunity to have served this nation as President for two consecutive terms, by the grace of God and by the wish of the people exercising their right of choice under the national Constitution.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my tenure can be described as a watershed, straddling the close of the chapter on Ghana’s first 50 years of nationhood, and opening the chapter for the next 50 years, to complete the Centenary.

Much has been achieved in this country since 1957. The general belief, however, is that much more could have been done over the years. The nation knows the causes of the under performance. Chief among them has been the oft-disrupted governance contrary to the provisions of the democratic constitutions since Independence.

We should not however cry over spilt milk. We know from history that many a nation experienced similar difficult beginnings. We should therefore see our past difficulties as teething problems which have provided useful lessons for nation-building. Perhaps it is these lessons that have strengthened the nation’s resolve to work harder to protect the 4th Republic.

Happily, Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time since Independence, the country has enjoyed 15 years of uninterrupted governance under constitutionally elected Presidents. Every Ghanaian should be proud of this feat and resolve to help sustain this good record.

We should draw on these lessons to strengthen the Institutions which provide checks and balances within the political system, namely, the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary, and the host of others such as CHRAJ, SFO, NGOs and the media.

In this respect, I should recognize also the Security Services, the Central Bank, religious bodies and traditional authorities who have all become watchdogs of our governance system. Working in their different ways but together, they give meaning to the maxim of unity in diversity to ensure that the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights prevail to protect and advance the cause of the nation’s democratic and economic evolution, as well as the welfare of its people.

In short, ladies and gentlemen, the nation is developing in freedom. Through this maxim, we find that there is mutual trust that gives hope to the society for a bright future.
Fellow citizens, the platform is strong, set and ready for accelerated growth. All the requisite assets to achieve the status of a middle level income economy within the next decade are in place.

These assets include a fast and improving Human resource base that is being further nurtured through the New Educational Reform Programme which emphasizes science, technology and ICT - the critical tools for mainstreaming the country into the global world.

The Reform is designed to provide equal opportunities for all Ghanaian children through a government sponsored Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) from age 4 to 16.

The Reform should imbue the society with a scientific outlook; make it versatile, appreciative of its environment, and generally more productive.

Another programme for enhancing the human resource base is the all embracing, forward-looking health delivery system based on the concept of prevention. It promotes preventive measures within the community to ward off endemic diseases such as malaria and diarrhea, while encouraging adoption of appropriate life-styles to minimize proneness to diseases like diabetes, hypertension and HIV/AIDS.

This is not to de-emphasise the necessity of maintaining and enhancing the curative aspect of medical care. In fact, there is massive rehabilitation and expansion of hospital and other medical facilities throughout the country.

To facilitate access to this health care, a National Health Insurance Scheme has been introduced which has already attained 50% national coverage.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Private Sector Development is another important agency for improving the human resource base. Its salient features include entrepreneurial development and co-operatives. This is leading to a more diversified economy through modernized agriculture, value addition to primary products and efficient management of enterprises.

In this regard, we cannot fail to note that the rapidly expanding financial sector with diverse products to service all sectors of the economy, both urban and rural is critical.

More and more the society is appreciating entrepreneurship qualities and the can-do-attitude as crucial to employment generation and wealth creation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the recent discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities has been greeted with great joy, and rightly so. It should provide additional resources to support accelerated development. I am happy however, that many people are alive to the potential danger which this great blessing of oil-find can pose to the nation. In anticipation of this, government has initiated action to formulate a regulatory framework to govern this emerging sector. But I believe that what will be needed most, at all times, in the management of this critical national resource is transparency, accountability and the genuine commitment to best practices which will ensure maximum returns for the nation and investors alike.

Another major asset of the nation is infrastructure in terms of roads, ports, energy and ICT to open up the country and also link it to the international market.

Underpinning all these is good governance for which Ghana has become the international toast, and a reference point on the African continent.

There can be no doubt that with awareness of the nation’s improving good fortune, and the people’s determination to pool together, Ghana should be able to attain middle income status within the next decade.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what Ghana incorporated is all about, a nation with varied assets the latest addition being oil, jointly owned by all its citizens. The assets can grow only through good leadership, discipline, hard work and good work ethic.
As joint-owners of Ghana Incorporated, all the citizens should live in unity of purpose and fellow feeling, so as to secure peace and security without which there will be no development.

Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me now to address my next remarks to two groups represented on this parade ground; first, the children in whom the future of the country is vested; and next the security services which, to a large extent, have the constitutional responsibility to ensure the security of the nation at all times.

My dear school children, this country is investing in you through education and health-care so as to empower you to secure yourselves as individual and our nation in a dignified place in the global village which is fast becoming a fact of life. Many of you are already adept at the computer and other sophisticated gadgets associated with ICT and globalization. The truth, however, is that this technology is rapidly and always changing. Your education should therefore enable you to keep abreast and indeed on top of the changes. This is the only way you can uphold the development of the nation and yourselves. Already, these developments and changes in many respects are assailing the integrity of humanity.

Through television and the internet and other modern gadgetry, cultures and moral values are being gravely undermined. The result is that humanity is already confronted with the challenge of a serious split between knowledge and morality unless mankind finds a way to overcome this challenge, there is a real danger of becoming less than human. Mankind might cease to be each (his) brother’s keeper. It is for this reason that government has decided to revisit the re-instatement of religious and moral education on the school curriculum.

For, no matter how many academic and professional accolades one achieves, in the end, the best education is one that enables you to appreciate the common humanity of man, emboldens you to stand up for what is right, to have fellow feeling and to be each other’s keeper. It is the youth imbued with such balanced education of knowledge and a sense of morality who will earn Ghana the pride of place in the global village.

I, therefore, urge you to work hard and strive for excellence. Know your environment and the greater world in which you are going to live. This will enrich your personality, your nation Ghana, and humanity in general.

Now to the security services, representatives of whom have impressed us this morning with their smart turn out and parade skills. I cannot commend the Services enough for the role they have played to support and sustain the nation’s governance and stability since 1992. They continue to ensure law and order, as prescribed by the national Constitution. This way, they are also playing their role in guaranteeing continuity in governance which is a prerequisite for peace and national development.

I should mention in particular the high standards of professionalism which both the military and the police continue to display on peacekeeping missions, thereby bringing great honour to the nation.

Fellow citizens, I cannot conclude my address without reference to the impending Presidential and Parliamentary Elections for which preparations are already underway.
Government is committed to the conduct of peaceful and credible Elections. But this cannot be the sole responsibility of government. All of us, as parties and citizens of Ghana, must also demonstrate responsibility.

But of course, the crucial role of the Electoral Commission cannot be underestimated. There are examples of peaceful, prosperous and beautiful countries that have quickly degenerated into anarchy because of a flawed electoral process.
To begin with, the integrity of the Electoral machinery and the personnel should not be in doubt. On that score, I call on the Electoral Commission to referee the electoral proceedings including registration, voting, counting and declaration of results with impartiality, neutrality and transparent honesty to make the contesting parties and indeed the entire electorates feel proud of the outcome, win or lose. The Commission must not fail the nation.

Fellow Citizens, on 7th January, 2001, I was sworn into office as the second President of the Fourth Republic. I took over from President Jerry John Rawlings, who had served the previous two consecutive terms. I have enjoyed tremendous support from the good people of Ghana, and our nation’s many friends and well wishers here and abroad. I am forever grateful for this. My resolve is to hand over to my successor a united and peaceful country.

I am therefore appealing to all Ghanaians to play their respective roles, individually and collectively, responsibly to make the electoral process a resounding success.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at this point, let me congratulate all those on parade today for a good turn out. I commend the school children and their teachers, the security forces as well as the various cultural groups and all those who have contributed to the success of the parade.

Now, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, it is my special privilege to authorize the award of the 50th Independence Anniversary Commemorative Medal to all personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service, Prisons Service, Fire Service, Customs Excise and Preventive Service, and the Immigration Service, who were in service as of 6th March, 2007

For this, I invite the Chief of the Defence Staff, The Inspector General of Police, and the other Service Chiefs to step forward with their Sergeant Majors to be decorated and to receive the rest of the medals for and on behalf of their respective Services.

It is my expectation that this honour will encourage personnel of all the Security Services to continue to demonstrate fortitude, loyalty and unwavering devotion in service to our dear nation, Ghana.

Fellow citizens and the youth of Ghana, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I wish all of you a happy 51st Independence Anniversary. I also thank all of you for honouring the invitation to this parade.

Long live Ghana!

May God bless us all.