Governor declares March 6 2006 Ghana's independence day in Illinois

...........President of Ghana National Council ( GNC) calls for an end to abuse of per diem etc...

Pictures of the event - http://ghananationalcouncil.org/indece2006a.htm

Chicago-Saturday, March 4 2006.The governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich declared March 6 2006 Ghana's independence day in the state of Illinois in the United States at the 49th Ghana?s independence anniversary celebrations organized by the GNC at the Four Point Sheraton Hotel, 7353 S. Cicero in Chicago. In a message read on behalf of the Governor in the overly packed ball room, the governor congratulated Ghanaians for being the first black African country south of the Sahara, to emancipate its people from the shackles of colonialism.

The annual Independence anniversary celebrations is organized by the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan Chicago, which is made up of 11 Ghanaian organizations all registered in the state of Illinois.

Present at the function were, Mr. Sandy Osei Agyeman, Chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association,Mr. and Mrs.Berko Akoto of African Spectrum and one of the sponsors of the event, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet Agyeman, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Kwarteng, Mrs. Comfort Afriyie, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Annan, Mr. Charles Winterstein, Chicago attorney,Mr. and Mrs.Owusu Bempah,, former president GNC, Dr. Andy Davis, Philantropist and Cardiologist, Mr. Eddie Quartey,Vice-Chairman, GNC, Nana Amponsah, professor, Robert Morris college and many community leaders and presidents of the various Ghanaian organizations.

Reverend Doctor Kofi Noonoo offered his blessing for the occasion whilst Okyeami Ntow invoked the spirits of our ancestors to protect the gathering.

In a short remark, the commissioner for consumer affairs for the city of Chicago, Ms. Norma Reyes urged Ghanaians to continue with their selfless and voluntary service to better their community. She noted to the attendees that no community ever develops without its members willing to volunteer their time in furtherance its aims and objectives.

In his key note address, Professor Osei Assibey-Mensah of Indiana University, gave chronology of events leading to the independence of Ghana and noted to his audience that they should be selfless in their duties to their country.

The president of the GNC, Mr. Reuben Hadzide noted that amongst other things, the following cost the Ghana close to a trillion cedis annually. This are-

* The ten percent payment to officials for purchases and contracts for jobs they are already being paid to do. * Civil servants and other government appointees are given bungalows, houses, cars etc. at the expense of the people! * The Per-diems (daily expense allowance) are abused by officials. * Forty percent is lost to the country from all purchases made in the civil service sector. * Official corruption costs or country colossal amounts of money and must be tackled with vigor and without exceptions.

The president of the GNC also noted that a conservative estimate of these benefits and the corrupt practices for the 9 years we were independent is over 20 billion dollars!

In conclusion the GNC president lamented that ?These lost funds could have bought the necessary equipment for the police force to protect us from the armed robbers, purchase text books and build schools so that our children would not sit under trees to study, build hospitals, clinics, buy medicines, medical equipment and supplies so that we can all get better healthcare at home, including our leaders who normally go to develop countries for treatment, build our roads, keep electric power flowing to light our homes , offices and industries etc!

We know we have to face the hard truths and take strong steps, but we have not done so. Instead, we have drifted, and that drifting has eroded our resources, fractured our economy, and shaken our poise for the eventual economic emancipation of our people!?

As usual, the Adowa , Borborbor and Kpalogo troupes kept the audience alive with marvelous traditional drumming and dancing.

Mr. Kwasi Yeboah, D.J 88.5 FM in Chicago took the audience back to the days immediately before and after Ghana?s independence with a short narrative interlaced with recorded speeches of Nkrumah and old-time ( Gold Coast) highlife.

Reverend Class Peters had a sanding ovation from the audience he already kept standing from his marvelous recitation of the axioms of Kwame Nkrumah.

The Ghanaian youth group in Chicago, called the Adinkrah Group showed their presence with a heavy attendance from their members.

D.J Yeboah of millennium soundz was at his best when he finally had the chance to ?spin? for the crowd.

For the first time, both Money Gram and Western Union sponsored the event. Western Union presented an award to the GNC for their contribution to the Ghanaian community. The president of the GNC , Mr. Reuben Hadzide dedicated the award to the founding fathers of the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan Chicago.