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Funds for Ghana at 50 would be
audited- Chief Of Staff
Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - Funds given to the Ghana at 50
Secretariat shall be audited by the Auditor General and made
public by the end of the year, Chief of Staff Kwadwo Mpiani
said on Tuesday.
"On accountability, I want to assure everybody that we are
transparent in our dealings as required and will continue to
do through the period of the celebrations", Mr Mpiani, who
is also the chairman of the national planning committee of
the Ghana at 50 celebrations said.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, he noted that the
secretariat had so far received in pledges 34.6 billion
cedis both in cash and in kind out of which 18.8 billion
cedis have been received.
The Chief of Staff admitted that resources allocated to the
regions have been minimal and gave the assurance that more
resources would be made available to them by the end of the
week to enable them fully participate in the jubilee
celebrations.
Answering questions on the exclusion of political parties
from the Jubilee planning, he said the organisation of
celebrations of every landmark point of Ghana's history has
been stewarded by the incumbent government at the helm of
affairs.
He cited that 25th anniversary of Ghana's independence was
planned by the government of Dr Hilla Limann and that of the
40th was planned and implemented by the National Democratic
Congress.
He however, noted that the members of the planning committee
were humans and bound to make mistakes, adding "we therefore
take genuine criticisms and suggestions in good faith".
He stressed the need for Ghanaians to focus on the positive
aspect of the celebrations and how to make the occasion
memorable and successful to ensure unity among the
citizenry.
He said all African Heads of States have been invited to the
celebration out of which 16 have confirmed their
participation.
Asked if former President Jerry Rawlings has agreed to
participate in the celebrations, Mr Mpiani said he has been
duly invited "... let us wait for the delegation sent to him
to report to President John Agyekum Kufuor and let stop
speculating."
He catalogued some of the events to mark the anniversary as
"Telling the Ghana News Agency Story", the first news
gathering and dissemination organisation in the Sub-Saharan
Africa established on the eve of independence, Street
parties and carnivals and commemorative parades in all
districts and regions.
Other activities would also be the Miss Ghana gala balls
that would recognise an event that has been part of the
country’s anniversary celebrations as well as live concerts
that would chart the journey from highlife to hip life, and
the re-enactment of the colonial power formally handing over
instrument of power to independent Ghana before Dr.
Nkrumah's polo ground declarations by Parliament.
He outdoored two commemorative clothes to mark the occasion,
which comes in a special Kente cloth and a jubilee version
of traditional wax print called "Ghana United at 50".
Part of the wax print, he said were printed in Ghana and
China because the local companies in Ghana could not meet
the demand.
Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Information and National Orientation
Minister stressed the need to celebrate the jubilee saying,
"it is worth celebrating due to the fact that Ghana
continues to play lead roles in the history of Africa and
the country that also produced many great personalities like
Busumuru Kofi Annan, as the first black UN Secretary
General, among others.
He called on individuals and organisations along the
ceremonial routes to clad their buildings with the national
colours as Cal Bank and the Paloma hotel had done.
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Mr. Kofi Adda has assured
Ghanaians of uninterrupted power supply from March 1 to 14
while government made frantic efforts to find lasting
solution to the energy crisis.
He also announced that government would meet the media next
Tuesday to brief them on the energy situation in the
country.
GNA
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