Ghana's 60th Independence Anniversary Celebrations were climaxed yesterday [Monday], March 6, with a national parade and march-past at the Black Star Square in Accra.
In attendance were many dignitaries including Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, Togo President Faure Gnassingbe and many other top officials who represented their respective countries and former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obassanjo.
Activities, as usual, included the taking of the national salute by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, inspection of the guard of honour, a march-past by students and the security services and a colourful display of Ghana's culture by the Ghana Dance Ensemble.
The lighting of the Ghana @ 60 flame and a skit from a group of Kumawood actors led by Agya Koo on the importance of education especially for the girl-child were thrown into the picture this time and the general conduct of the event could be described as satisfactory.
And as has been characteristic with the President since he assumed office, he did not disappoint with his speech.
After paying tributes to the main players of Ghana's independence struggle and others who have helped to shape Ghana into what it is today, he urged Ghanaians to unite going forward in order to achieve economic freedom faster as "too many of our people continue to wallow in unacceptable poverty" sixty years after independence.
"Sadly, the economic dividend that was meant to accompany our freedom has still not materialised. After sixty years, we have run out of excuses and it is time to set Ghana to rights and get our country to where it should be. The challenge before us is to build our economy and generate a prosperous, progressive and dignified life for the mass of our people", he stated.
READ ASLO:Â We don't have any more excuses for our underdevelopment - Akufo-Addo
His speech has been generally commended as being motivating and consistent with his inaugural address.
But one thing that occured yesterday that has received a lot of attention, especially on social media, was the President's inability or refusal to wear the Ghana @ 60 cloth, the official apparel for the celebration which was commissioned by the Planning Committee.
While former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Dramani Mahama wore the official Ghana @ 60 cloth, President Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia chose to wear a fugu [smock] and boubou respectively with former President John Agyekum Kufuor also spotting a white boubou.
As if by design, almost all the members of President Akufo-Addo's government including Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye, Chief of Staff, Ministers of State, and even members of the Planning Committee itself were not wearing the official cloth.
In fact, the only high profile government appointee, who was spotted on camera wearing one was Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen.
This has divided opinions with critics and defenders battling it out on social media as to what must have informed the President's decision not to wear the official cloth.
While the critics question why the government will commission the cloth to be manufactured and not wear it, the defenders argue that government has made it clear that the celebration is a year-long one and would go beyond the fateful March 6 and thus there would be many more activities for government functionaries to use the cloth and go ahead to cite that the President used the cloth when he attended the premiering of "From Gold Coast to Ghana", a documentary on Ghana's history, last Saturday at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The President (sitting on the far right) at the documentary premier last Saturday
Despite this explanation and the evidence that President Akufo-Addo has indeed worn the Ghana @ 60 cloth, the critics have maintained that being the peak of the celebrations, the national parade should have been where he should have worn the cloth even if he was going to wear it just once.
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