H.E. Ms. Sophia Horner Sam, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana in the Netherlands, H.E. Ms. Sophia Horner Sam, hosted a reception celebrating the country’s 63rd Independence anniversary in The Hague on 6 March 2020.
On 6th March, 1957, Ghana became the first Sub-Saharan nation to gain independence from British colonial rule. Many distinguished Guests, Ghanaians and friends of Ghana, gathered to celebrate this momentous day in The Hague.
It was a kaleidoscope of colours with an elegant ambience. The evening commenced with vocal rendition of the Ghana national anthem by Ms. Louisa Fofie, while the Netherlands national anthem was sung by Ms. Marissa Nyamekye.
The program included dancing and drumming demonstration by the GAM Cultural Group. Ms Augustina Austin was the moderator. Many heads of Mission were on hand to celebrate the occasion.
Back home in Ghana, the national celebration included a traditional parade, however this time it was held at Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital. This is the second time that the celebration is being held outside Accra the capital of Ghana. Among many of those in attendance was Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ambassador Sophia Horner Sam addressed the gathering after cordially welcoming everyone. The Ambassador subsequently delivered a speech filled of historical details that will make all Ghanaians proud. Well, of course not only Ghanaians, but also people of African descent as well as those who advocate freedom.
Ambassador Horner Sam continued: “It is my honour to welcome you all to the celebration of the 63rd anniversary of the independence of Ghana. Exactly 63 years today on 6th March, 1957, Ghana became the first Sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from British colonial rule, and it opened up a new chapter of possibilities not only for Ghana, but for the African continent.
Ghana’s independence changed the world because it was a freedom that many throughout the world, especially people of African descent, celebrated and held as a symbol of hope. It influenced the independence movement throughout Africa, and in 1960 alone, 17 African countries gained their independence.
The freedom torch that was lit 63 years ago by our Founding Fathers led by our first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah continues to glow across the African Continent. Following the consolidation of the African Union, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) has been established with Accra, Ghana as its headquarters. Trading under the agreement begins in July 2020 and it will be the world’s largest free trade area by number of countries once it is fully up and running.
Today Ghana is a beacon of democracy, political stability in the African continent, and it is among the fastest growing economies in the world. The Government of Ghana, in pursuit of its Development Agenda is committed to transparent and accountable governance, a strong economy geared towards the creation of jobs, the rapid expansion of infrastructure for accelerated growth, and to invest in the people of Ghana for the creation of productive human resource base.
As the 63rd independence anniversary of Ghana is celebrated under the theme “consolidating our gains”, I wish to state that, the current Government under the leadership of H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has embarked on flagship programmes to speed up Ghana’s developmental process. Notable among these initiatives are the “Free Senior High School Education”, “One District, One Factory”, “One Village-one Dam”,and “Planting for Food and Jobs”.
These policies and programmes are beginning to yield positive results towards the growth of the Ghanaian economy and need to be built upon. It is against this background that Ghana continues to call for partnerships from the Dutch private sector to team up with Ghanaian companies and take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities in our country.
It has however not been all smooth sailing since our nation achieved its independence. Ghana has faced challenges in her efforts to achieve sustained socio-economic development. The resilience of the people of Ghana and the support of our development partners, including the Netherlands, have remained important in our quest for accelerated development.
Ghana and the Netherlands have maintained a long-standing relations dating back to the 16th Century. Since Ghana’s independence in 1957, the Netherlands has been a reliable and dependable development partner and today, the Ghana-Netherlands relations cover almost all sectors of Ghanaian national life including Cultural, Economic, Environment, Trade, Health, Education and matters relating to Governance.
Let me seize this opportunity to express the gratitude of the Government and people of Ghana for the Kingdom of Netherlands’ invaluable contributions to the development of Ghana over the years. It is our hope that the relationship that exists between our two countries will continue to grow from strength to strength.
I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate all Ghanaians as we celebrate this important day. By all means, let us modestly enjoy the day as much as we can, but let us also resolve even more to “hold in high esteem our heritage won for us through the blood and toil of our Fathers, and pledge ourselves in all things to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana”.
The second speaker at the reception was Ms. Josephine Frantzen, head of the division for West Africa, the Sahel and the Great Lakes at the Sub-Saharan department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands,
An exquisite Ghanaian buffet concluded the festive evening.
