On Monday, March 8, I came across a story which gladdened my heart because of its potential to spread wealth to local communities.
The story emphasised that hotels and guest houses in the Kwahu area were fully booked due to the forthcoming Kwahu Business Forum.
It means investments in the hospitality industry, the facilities which for most parts of the year remain empty, would be occupied and bring some valuable income to the operators. That is what is going to those in the hotel industry.
There will be other local actors in the area who stand to gain from the event because it has been brought to the area.
Before the participants leave Kwahu, the amount of money that they would have spent on atadwe will be in the thousands, more than what traders in the Kwahu enclave ever earn in months of vigorous trading at the Nkawkaw Junction.
Until the National Democratic Congress took office under President John Mahama, one of the smartest innovations introduced into the National Independence Day celebration was the holding of the event at one regional capital on rotational basis.
Beyond mass participation that assured inclusiveness of all Ghanaians to celebrate the national pride, it made the people in the regions feel important and involved in the elebration.
But one big thing from the initiative, at first sight imperceptible and unintentional, was the massive economic gains spread across the region where the event was held.
Beyond
The event, beyond mass mobilisation and participation, its inclusiveness in uniting our people, had the concomitant of spreading economic gains from the euphoria of a national festival beyond nationalism, pride and a sense of belonging promoting the creation of wealth for the regions.
As observed from the Kwahu Business Forum, once the event was primed to a region, economic activities blossomed.
New projects commenced whilst existing infrastructure were improved. It even resulted in a miniature tourism activity, and knowing our country better.
When the new administration took office, it decided to kill the initiative and found excuse and justification in “wastage” in the name of expenses to the state, without providing evidence of the gains.
Spokeperson
The Spokesperson of the President, Felix Kwaakye Ofosu, repeatedly emphasised that more than GH¢50 million was spent annually on the regional celebrations and condemned the expenditure as wasteful.
No one would support wasteful and unconscionable expenditure.
But there was no need to spurn the inventiveness and resourcefulness of the Nana Akufo-Addo regime in hosting the independence day across the regional capitals.
There was the need for rationalisation of the expenses if indeed it was more than frugal.
Beyond national cohesion and inclusiveness, the exercise brought hope and joy to the respective regions where the ceremony was observed.
From food vendors through the chain in the hospitality industry, beyond them to include fuel station operators, the rotational celebration brought great financial relief and solace.
Last year, I encouraged the government to rethink the termination of the regional rotational observance of the only National Day that is permanent and cannot be changed, unlike the Republic Day or Founders Day, which are now tinged with partisan flavour.
Unfortunately, this year also, it was a ceremony of the privileged since you needed an invitation to have been part of the ceremony held within the Jubilee or Flagstaff House.
For me, it is immaterial to suggest that some big savings were made in 2025 and 2026 by limiting the celebration to the Jubilee House, not even the Independence Square, where large crowds are accommodated and made to have a sense of belonging.
Money is not everything, and to focus on savings as the primary motive for an event that requires mass participation is to undermine the value of the exercise as a tool for sustained national development.
For instance, in 1994, an estimated 10,000 schoolchildren were involved in the Independence Day at the Black Star or Independence Square with the stands filled to capacity, ordinary Ghanaians enjoying the scene and feeling proud about their country and heritage.
Some of the photographs taken would be iconic and preserve cherished memories, a heritage of the fact that I was there actively enjoying the moment. What amount of money is worth the feeling.
What happened in 2025 and 2026, with limited audiences for the Independence Day observance, can only be equated with parents refusing to provide for the needs of the children by not budgeting adequately for new clothes and food because these are not priorities during Christmas and Easter for Christians and Eid UL- Fitr and Eid UL-Adha for Muslims.
The psychological and emotional needs of the children in such times override any consideration for cost, since it undermines the qualitative impact on their emotions.
By way of trade, any casual observer could point to the fact that if for nothing at all, money came to each of the regions solely because of their hosting the event.
Beyond other mundane things, it was an indirect way of boosting local or domestic tourism.
Many
For many in the informal sector and those in the hospitality industry in general, their businesses boomed and that meant substantial revenue accrued to the state by way of taxes.
The Ghana Tourism Authority can readily be reached to testify to the significance of the regional hosting of the Independence Day celebration to the incomes of industry players and the concomitant taxes that accrued to the state.
Even without admitting that there were financial gains, we cannot ignore the psychological and emotional delight and satisfaction or attachment that people from the regions derived for being part of the celebration.
I can bet that the nation spends far more in hosting the National Farmers Day, even if funded by charity or the private sector, to recognise farmers, than on Independence Day, which is for all our people.
Even then, it will be most unproductive to host Farmers or Teachers days at the Jubilee House, no matter the financial gains or savings that could be made.
GH¢50 Million
Even if we are to believe that more than GH¢50 million was spent annually to host the Independence Day, have we tried to establish how much of the funding was deployed to upgrade or rehabilitate infrastructure such as roads, the grounds where the celebrations were held and what benefit accrued to businesses in the regional capitals which hosted the events.
We can limit it only to those in the hospitality industry and find out from them whether in their opinion it is more functional and productive to host Independence Day, across the regions or at the Jubilee House.
Even at the national capital, people would want it to be open, at the Independence Square rather than an exclusive event of specially invited persons.
Independence Day is a rare national event without comparison It must, therefore, be more inclusive than exclusive, no matter what amount of money is saved.
The significance of the event and the euphoria it presents cannot be monetised or quantified in terms of savings even as we must be modest and driven by the value for money.
Whilst we should not entertain profligate expenditure, we must know as our elders maintain, ” se Kwaakye adee yefe a, yede sika na eto” and more significantly, “ennye osikani eseso ne preman nii”.
If bringing the celebration of Independence Day to the people across the regions for a unique national cause, because of the cost per se, is a wasteful expenditure, then we must ensure that for the next World Cup,we foot the bill for the Ghanaian media, especially the public broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, to secure the franchise for live coverage for all Ghanaians rather than spend millions of dollars to transport a few party loyalists in the name of Black Stars supporters to the United States, Canada and Mexico to cheer the team at the stadia.
I pray for the restoration of the rotational regional celebration of Independence Day because of the potential to boost local wealth and spread economic opportunities across the country.
Next year will be the 70th anniversary and thus national pride, not cost, must determine the inclusivity or exclusivity of the celebration.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh