Fellow Ghanaians, tomorrow Sunday 7th January 2024 will mark the anniversary of the coming into force of the Constitution of the Fourth Republic.
A day which has since the enactment of the Public Holidays Amendment Act of 2019 (Act 986) turned Constitution Day commemorated for the 4th successive time.
By common cinsent, all well-meaning Ghanaians are agreed that the democratic form of governance is the best preferable, and we must do everything possible to guarantee the longevity of the Fourth Republic.
Indeed, our attachment to the path of multiparty democracy continues to yield considerable benefits for our nation compared to the period of authoritarian rule. We’ve made sustained efforts for the economy, overseeing a systematic expansion of the private sector, ensuring the basic elements of social justice.
A system of education from kindergarten through senior secondary school to tertiary level and affordable healthcare to all citizens, which are ongoing, recorded significant reduction in maternal mortality rate, entrenched media freedom and heightened public accountability , deepened attachment to the rule of law and respect for individual liberties and human rights, raised public awareness about the need to safeguard the environment in response to the menace of climate change and created the atmosphere and policies to enhance rather than frustrate commerce.
I have spent my adult life for our individual and collective rights, and it is, therefore, gratifying to note that the nation’s adherence to democracy has not waned. We know that there are no quick fixes confronting us, and as we have seen in recent times, democratic structures of governance are capable of accommodating the most difficult circumstances.
We have, happily, turned the corner on our economic situation, as we experience the rebound of the national economy, and we will continue to work strongly at the problems facing the nation, knowing that the solution, every four years, rests in part on the sovereign will of the Ghanaian people when you exercise your power to choose freely your leaders to manage the affairs of the country. Fellow Ghanaians, democracies are grounded on viable elections.
This year, like we have done on 8 preceding occasions, we will go to the polls to elect the President and my successor. No true democrat can disregard the importance and sanctity of the ballot. It must, thus, be in our collective interest to follow the rules and regulations to ensure the elections are fair and transparent and that we all develop respect for them.
A respect that should not be the function of whether you win or lose. All stakeholders, that is, the Electoral Commission, the political parties and their leaders, the electorate and citizenry should work to assure the consolidation of the Ghanaian democracy and help us maintain our pride of place on the continent as the model of democracy in Africa.
At the end of it all, there should be no lingering doubt about the legitimacy of the election and the winning candidate, on the conclusion of the process, should receive the unalloyed support of all. That is how we can strengthen our democracy and the peace and stability of our nation. On a lighter note, three years on, I’m still waiting for my main opponent in the 2020 election to congratulate me on my victory.
I swore an oath on 7th January 2017 and again, four years later, on 7th January 2021 to be faithful and true to the republic of Ghana and preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. I shall continue to do just that. It will not be under my watch that any adventurer will seek to torpedo the democratic path on which we have embarked. I will help see to it that we have a free and fair and transparent election in December 2024.
You have my word. Ghana will be the victor of such an outcome, not any individual party or candidate. Nonetheless, I urge you my fellow Ghanaians to continue to embrace the basic values of the Constitution. founded on the principles of democratic accountability and respect for the rule of law, human rights and individual liberty and freedom, which the great majority of us believe must form the bedrock of our national development and individual prosperity.
Yet alongside this freedom, we must with the same passion and commitment uphold our individual and collective responsibility to contribute proactively towards the greater good of society. This is the vision of a free society. No society can be truly free unless its citizens feel the need to embrace both liberty and duty, hardwork and compassion.
Ghana is considered the beacon of democracy and stability in Africa. And the celebration of Constitution Day should inspire us Ghanaians even further to hold on to this enviable status. Once again, I thank almighty God and you the Ghanaian people, for giving me the opportunity to serve you these past seven years.
I have not taken it lightly. I remain committed to the mandate you freely gave me. I will use the last year of my stay in office to do all in my power to continue to help create a free and prosperous nation of opportunities for all.
The battle is the Lord’s. Long live Ghanaian democracy, long live Constitution Day, long live the fourth republic. I thank you for your attention.
