As the party that brought freedom the CPP takes 6 March very, very seriously. It was my pleasant duty to attend the Independence Day celebration at Osagyefo's Black Star Square.
I thank President John Mahama for organising his last Independence Day celebration as President. As I told the soon to-be-retired Presidential Candidate Nana Akufo Addo at the event, the next celebration would be held by the CPP.
I am happy that at the event, beyond the now-out-of-date military march of our children, our forces assured us that we are secure in our increasingly dangerous region. I salute the attempt to restore the contribution of our creative people to the event. I salute the restoration of our traditional religion and recognition of the energetic and creative Ga people as owners of the space of Osagyefo's Black Star Square and beyond.
Independence Day under my Presidency would again be a day of the people. We shall play, have fun, renew our connectedness and continue the never-finished task of nation building. Old Polo Grounds of 6 March 1957 was a day of the people. The forthcoming CPP government shall restore that.
The image of a brochure below is from Independence Day 1959 at the Gyandu Park, Sekondi. It signifies a day dominated by our powerful Fancy Dress; market women on float in their gaiety; Abisa Kundum dance and other markers of our people's joyous, confident free spirit. The coming CPP would restore that Ghanaian spirit of confidence. Yes we can and would.
I am not unaware of the great national difficulty we experienced with the brochure. For us in the CPP, this is now a disgraceful, painful oath. I solemnly pledge that this would have no chance of occurrence under the forthcoming CPP government. In fact the Independence brochure would from 2017 be an object of our Ghana First industrial policy. The paper industry the first CPP government begun has been destroyed. The paper trees have been completely cut down and the Paper Conversion Corporation in Takoradi sold. All a reflection of our deeply sad present. Even if we have to manufacture paper by hand, the Independence Day brochure of the CPP government would be printed on Made-in-Ghana paper by the Government Printer. The first CPP government created the Information Services Department as a world-class, first-class facility. We shall work to restore it to its necessary glory and professionalism.
I thank President Mahama for the steps he has taken to address #Brochuregate. They are however not enough. The President should cause the Minister for Communications to issue a full statement covering all outstanding issues. We must demand full accountability on the issue. Once that is done we need political closure. Ghana must work again.
In closing I hereby announce that the CPP would organise a people's celebration of the working classes and youth soon. This is to point up the kind of national political occasion I promise.
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