Speech Delivered By H.E. President J.A. Kufuor, During The Celebration Of The Eid-Ul-Fitr Festival At The Independence Square On Saturday 13 October 2007

Mr Vice President,
Ministers of State and Members of Parliament,
National Chief Imam and Other Muslim Clergy,
Brothers and Sisters of the Islamic Faith,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today marks another important event on our National Calender as the whole nation join hands with our Muslim brothers and sisters in celebrating the Eid-Ul-Fitr Festival, which signifies the end of the month-long Ramadan fast.

I wish first al all, on behalf of the entire nation, to congratulate all Muslims for having successfully gone through this period of disciplined self-denial in obedience to one of the key tenets of the Islamic faith. The Ramadan Fast has undoubtedly afforded you the devotees, the unique opportunity of rekindling your faith and commitment and have thus received the much-needed strength to continue with your religious as well as civic responsibilities.

The occasion is also the right time to do some individual and corporate introspection on some key issues that affect us all as a nation.

Let me begin by reiterating the fact that, despite the diversity of faiths and beliefs in the country, our national Constitution espouses a fundamental principle of Ghana as a secular state, not defined by any particular religion. Neither are we defined by tribe, class or any other social nomenclature, we are all simply Ghanaians.

As a people, our shared value is that of our common humanity which has been the main driving spirit behind our survival as a nation, these past 50 years. In spite of the vicissitudes that have attended our national development efforts, our adherence to this core value has been unwavering and has seen us through the challenges of nation-building. Therefore today we can pride ourselves as an oasis of peace within a turbulent sub-region and for this we must be thankful to the Almighty God.

Indeed, this Eid –Ul-Fitr Festival is a particularly propitious time to offer our thanksgiving to God for having heard our prayers and quenched the thirst of the land, by blessing us with the much sought-after rain, even though as a consequence, parts of the country have experienced some serious flooding.

Today, the Akosombo reservoir has risen over 14 feet above the minimum operating level of 240 feet; the load-shedding exercise has eased and our national development agenda which is largely energy-dependent, is back on track. It is now incumbent on all of us to learn the lessons of the past year and vow never to relapse into painful experience again.

With such an attitudinal change in the use of our national assets, backed by continued good governance and the prudent management of the national economy, Ghana will be on its way to attaining the goal of a middle-income status in the hot-too-distant future.

In pursuing this laudable goal, we are a people must also cultivate the virtues of patience, tolerance, fellow-feeling and endeavour to eschew all forms of violence and anti-social conduct. The peace that we currently enjoy must never be taken for granted, but it should be nurtured and guarded jealousy for the benefit of future generations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at a similar forum last year, I made a call for all segments of our society to take the issue of education very seriously. Again this year I feel inclined to repeat this call.

In this rapidly globalising world, the qualities that will give anyone a competitive advantage are intellectual and creative abilities which can only be cultivated through investment in a balanced education. As parents and opinion leaders, I implore you to champion this cause within your communities so that the educational upliftment of your wards and children gets the much-needed attention.

Ladies and Gentlemen, with the completion of the Ramadam Fast and the celebration of the Eid-UI-Fitr Festival, many Muslims faithfuls, many Muslim faithfuls, will in due course be preparing to fulfill yet another important pillar of Islam, namely the Haji or pilgrimage to Mecca. Regrettably, this important spiritual obligation has in the past been fraught with many problems largely due to planning deficiencies, and I day say, the pursuit of parochial self-interests by some members of the Haji Committees.

For this year’s pilgrimage, I demand that those entrusted with this serious onerous responsibility discharge their duties honourably and efficiently. They should not be enticed by lucre or a sense of profit from the transactions. As devout Muslims, I need not remind you that thwarting the life-long ambition of a fellow Muslim in fulfilling this sacred obligation will be tantamount to acting against the holy teachings of Islam. Let this year’s pilgrimage therefore be problems-free to serve as a refreshing reference point for future pilgrimages.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in bringing my address to a close, let me leave you with this thought that all of us should contribute our quota in building a Ghana where liberty will not descend into chaos and where freedom will be exercised with responsibility and fellow-feeling. Once again accept my congratulations on your successful completing of the Ramadan Fast and I wish you all a Happy Eid-UI-Fitr.

Balaka da Sala!
May God bless us all!!