President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, July 1, hosted a special luncheon in honour of Ghana’s senior citizens, recognizing their lifelong contributions to national development and public service at the Presidential Villa in Accra.
The event, held to commemorate Ghana’s Republic Day, brought together distinguished elderly Ghanaians who have served the nation in various capacities.
Present at the event were Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Acting Chief Justice Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, and Chairman of the Council of State Edward Doe Adjaho, among other dignitaries and invited guests.
President Mahama in his remarks noted that the gathering was to mark a day of profound national importance that evokes reflection, pride, and renewal, which was the Republic Day.
He said on the 1st of July, the day Ghana became a Republic in 1960, which marked a new era in Ghanaians’ independence journey, when as a sovereign people, they boldly declared that the highest authority in their land must emanate from the will of the Ghanaian people.
“It is also a day we have chosen to honor those whose lives’ work has brought Ghana this far, our senior citizens, whose strength, sacrice, and service have shaped the soul of our nation,” he said.
The President added: “And for the first time in our Republic’s history, today is also being observed as our National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving. A solemn moment of gratitude and spiritual unity as we seek the divine favour for the journey ahead.”
He said when his administration resolved to reinstate July 1st as a statutory Public Holiday, they did so out of a deep conviction that a sovereign people must not forget the day they claimed complete political independence and republican status.
“Republic Day is not just a date in our history; it is a symbol of our collective resolve to govern ourselves, to uphold democratic accountability, and build a society that is founded on justice and equality,” he said.
President Mahama said in the spirit of their forebears like Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and the many others who fought for independence, they recommit today to protect the sovereignty of their nation, to deepen their democratic culture, and to keep alive the ame of national pride and civic responsibility.
President Mahama said he was honoured and humbled to welcome the nation’s senior citizens to the celebratory luncheon in their honour.
“Indeed, this is not a mere formality, it is a public expression of national gratitude,” he declared, adding, “We say Ayekoo to all of you for the sacrifice and the effort you have made. “Each of you has played a part in Ghana’s story. You have worked hard as teachers, as farmers, as doctors, as engineers, as police ocers, civil servants, entrepreneurs, soldiers, mothers and fathers.”
He said together, the senior citizens had built schools and roads, taught children, delivered health care, defended the nation’s sovereignty, and carried Ghana through the many trials that we have been through.
He said the Senior Citizens’ service had left a legacy that lives on, even into the next generation, and that, “We are who we are because you gave us what you had, and we are where we are because of your sacrice and your effort.”
The President expressed gratitude to every retired Ghanaian worker and elder across Ghana, from “Accra to Zabzugu, from Axim to Garu. “Thank you for giving your strength and your best years to Ghana. But beyond the symbolic appreciation, this government is also taking concrete steps to restore dignity to aging and to retirement.”
He announced: “We are strengthening the pension system to ensure that public and private sector workers retire in security rather than in hardship.”
President Mahama said by implementing their flagship Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), they were laying the foundation for universal access to affordable health care, especially for older people, for low-income, and for vulnerable groups.
He said they were revamping the National Health Insurance Scheme, expanding coverage of geriatric services, and prioritizing investment in social protection, so that no senior citizen was left behind.
He said the Government was also reviewing the architecture of the public sector pensions and gratuities to ensure timely and equitable disbursement to all retirees. “The dignity of older people is the dignity of our nation, and we must protect it. The soul of any nation can be seen in how it treats its children and its senior citizens,”
President Mahama said.
He said: “Nations grow stronger when they listen and respect their elders”.
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang in her remarks reiterated the need for Ghanaians to remind themselves of how far they had come as a people and be thankful for it. “We need to work ourselves to the position where we are just happy to be in our country and we are happy to contribute to our country,” she said.
SOURCE: GBC
Additional Information: GNA
