Day 41: Ghana Republic Day

Accra - I had to do some cooking today as we did not go out due to the rain and the holiday.  We had scrambles eggs and toast for breakfast, and spaghetti for dinner.  Here is some information about the day: 

Flagstaff House

Ghana is celebrating its 54th Republic Day today. It is a day that the country totally weaned itself from British Colonial rule. 

The day is a statutory public holiday and Senior Citizens Day, on which the elderly, some of whom played significant roles in the struggle for freedom and the nation-building process, are accorded state recognition. 

Fifty-four years ago, Ghana achieved republican status which marked an event of profound historical and political significance. 

The feat implied that Ghana had the freedom to draw its own constitution and elect a president, who, with the cabinet, could initiate programmes for the well-being of the people.

The ‘Occupy Flagstaff House’ demonstration was staged by a group called Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance to protest the current economic hardship and the leadership paralysis being experienced in the country.

The Deputy Chief of Staff, Valery Sawyer, received the petition of the ‘Occupy Flagstaff House’ demonstrators on behalf of the President on Tuesday. The demonstration took place at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra after the Police denied the protesters permission to picket at the Flagstaff House.

THE CONCERNS

Your Excellency, our concerns, in no particular order of importance, are as follows:

The erratic supply of electricity nationwide.

The unreliable supply of potable water across the country.

The ever-depreciating value of the cedi.

Constant increases in taxes.

Inefficient revenue collection.

Very poor road networks.

Constant increments in utility tariffs.

Frequent increase in the prices of petroleum products.  (And the list goes on.....)

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