President Akufo-Addo has called on Ghanaians to 'do everything within' their means to safeguard Ghana’s democracy as the country celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Fourth Republic.
Today, Saturday, January 7, 2023, marks 30 years since the constitution of the 4th Republic came into force, with the inauguration into office of the first President of the 4th Republic, the late Jerry John Rawlings.
Addressing the nation on Friday, Akufo-Addo said: “We do not have to look far back into history to see that stable period of constitutional government and intelligent management of the economy lead to prosperity. We must do everything within our means to safeguard our democracy.”
“Tomorrow’s milestone is to the great credit of you, the Ghanaian people, the ordinary men and women who make up the fabric of our nation. Thirty years ago, all of us resolved to build, under God, a united nation, grounded in democratic values and the rule of law. We have advanced a great deal in realising this vision, and I am confident that, with a spirit of fairness, hard work, integrity and reconciliation, the best days of Mother Ghana lie ahead of us.
“Even though we are presently confronted with difficulties in our economic performance, I do not doubt our collective resolve to work our way out of these challenges, and put our nation back onto the path of progress and prosperity. Let us, therefore, continue to work to create the platform for the evolution of a new Ghanaian civilisation, which will give true meaning to the foundational values of freedom and justice on which our nation was birthed,” he added.
He said the country’s thirty-year journey has made Ghana an example for many other countries across the African continent.
“Our country is considered the beacon of democracy and stability in Africa where the respect for the principles of democratic accountability, human rights, and the rule of law has enabled us to oversee eight elections in the Fourth Republic with five presidential transitions and three peaceful transfers of power through the ballot from one party to another and we have every right to be proud of this record.”
He further advised Ghanaians not to lose sight of the fact that there may be some autocratic elements among the population that will want to disrupt the years of democracy and peace the country has enjoyed under the 1992 Constitution.
“We’ve come a long way, and we should not take it for granted that everybody in Ghana has accepted democracy as the preferred mode of governance. There are those that would rather have authoritarian rule because they claim our country is underdeveloped and democracy is cumbersome and that we need to get things done in a hurry.”