Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has revealed that the decision by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to scale down the Independence Day parade and host it at the Jubilee House has saved the country over Ghc13 million.
The minister and lawmaker stated that in the past, the decision by the government to host the ceremony on rotation in the regions cost the nation $15 million.
However, President John Dramani recently instructed for the parade to be scrapped and scaled down for the event held at the Jubilee House.
In a video to provide an update on preparations for the ceremony, he said, ‘’As you may be aware already, usually these celebrations are held on a grand scale at the Black Star Square or Independence Square, as most people know it. In the last few years, there was a policy of rotation among various regional capitals, but these celebrations came with significant costs, which at the moment, the national purse cannot bear. So President Mahama took a decision a few weeks ago to scale down the celebrations and bring it to the presidency.
In the past, there were sixty (60) contingents made up of sixty men and women each, so you are talking about close to 3,600 men and women and thousands of children who marched. Now everything has been scaled down to a little over 500 people. That is both security men and women and schoolchildren who will be performing, and this is to ensure that we do not incur the sort of cost we incurred in the past. I can reveal to you that the celebration that will be held tomorrow will cost a tenth of what it cost to hold this event in Koforidua, and it cost Ghc15 million to hold the Koforidua event. What would be held here will cost a tenth of that.’’
He added that the decision to scale down the celebration does not in any way undermine the significance of the day, adding that the president takes the celebration seriously but wants it to be done in modesty and in a way that allows us to make savings that we can plough back into other areas of expenditure.He advised persons without an invitation not to show up since the security will turn them away.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
