Okai Boamah interacting with the media
The government of Ghana has been advised to revamp the celebration of the country’s Independence Day and make it more impactful.
On Thursday, Ghana marked its 68th independence anniversary with a parade at the seat of government, where the president addressed the nation to herald the celebrations.
This year’s celebration at the Presidency, themed “Reflect, Review, Reset,” featured key activities such as a Military Guard of Honour, which was reviewed by the president, and a cultural performance by two groups of basic school pupils.
Somewhere in Ablekuma, a suburb of Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of Obi Group of Companies, Okai Boamah, rallied his staff to undertake a massive clean-up exercise in the area and adjoining areas.
The exercise saw the staff and management of the company sweep the streets and desilt gutters in a move to restore cleanliness in the area.
In a brief interaction after the exercise, Okai Boamah explained that his outfit deemed it necessary to mark the occasion with a clean-up exercise because it was the noble and patriotic thing to do.
“It is Ghana’s Independence Day and my area is hit with a lot of challenges. We have sanitation challenges, so we decided to mark Ghana’s independence by tackling one of our challenges.
“We undertook a clean-up exercise in Ablekuma and its environs to promote cleanliness, as it has been said cleanliness is next to godliness. We want to promote healthy living, so I want to advise all Ghanaians to stop throwing rubbish into gutters. Such things are not signs of patriotism,” he said.
Okai Boamah also advocated for a huge change in the celebration of the country’s Independence Day.
He noted that instead of the usual parade, the government could use the occasion to promote cleanliness by tasking all organizations to go out and partake in clean-up duties.
“My advice to the government is that we must vary how we celebrate Independence Day. Instead of making children and security personnel march in the streets, we must change our ways.
“We must bring together all schools, churches, companies, and others to go on the streets and undertake massive clean-up exercises. If we all decide to clean our towns, districts, and regional capitals, I believe that the country would be transformed, and we will all have peace and enjoy the country,” he said.
