President Akufo-Addo says despite the various challenges confronting the country there is a solid reason for Ghanaians to rejoice and celebrate independence day.
During his speech at the 63rd Independence Day celebration at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region under the theme "Consolidating Our Gains", President Akufo-Addo said Ghana has squandered many opportunities that if properly utilised would have brought us economic breakthrough.
According to him, there is still an infrastructure deficit and a considerable number of people in the country live in poverty.
"At 63, we know that we have squandered many opportunities that properly used would have brought us to the economic breakthrough to which we aspire. We lament and rightly so the infrastructure deficits that plague all sectors of our lives and the considerable number of our people and still live in poverty.."
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But despite these challenges, President Akufo-Addo believes Ghanaians still have a solid reason to rejoice and be thankful for a blessed nation.
"But if the truth be told, we have a solid reason to rejoice and be thankful to the Almighty for this blessed nation"
Akufo-Addo also advised Ghanaians to work towards a prosperous and peaceful country.
"The consensus is holding for all of us to work towards the prosperous, peaceful and happy Ghana we want. We all recognise that the responsibility we carry as the first sub-Saharan colonial country to gain independence is not simply to build a successful country.
We owe to the rest of the continent and the black race to demonstrate that, indeed we can build a successful, prosperous and happy country'', he added.
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