Ghanaian leader Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo marks this year’s May Day celebrations with the launch of a charter to guide the Ghana Beyond Aid campaign his administration is pursuing.
The Charter is expected to present the meaning, purpose and the calendar of implementation that will allow Ghana to reach the goal of developing the country without relying on aid from development partners, but through available natural resources in the West African country.
“On behalf of the people of Ghana, I wish to thank the Ghana Beyond Aid Committee for the good work done,” the President said, holding up the document to the thousands of workers marking this year’s May Day celebrations at the Black Star Square in Accra on Wednesday.
“Ghana Beyond Aid is setting our nation on an irreversible pathway of development. With the blessing of the Almighty and our collective effort, we will march boldly from poverty to prosperity so that we can create the Ghana our forefathers envisaged,” he said.
President Nana Addo said the Charter was drawn by a Committee Chaired by Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, adding that the Committee was made up of persons from varying sectors of the governance structure, including the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah; Minister for Planning, Prof. Gyan Baffour; and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama.
The rest, he said were drawn from the Trades Union Congress, the Private Enterprise Foundation, the Ghana National Association of Teachers, as well as the Association of Ghana industries.
The launch of the charter was in fulfillment of the President’s promise last year in Kumasi to set up a committee to develop a charter on Ghana Beyond Aid during May Day celebration.
Earlier, hundreds of Ghanaian workers defied heavy rainfall in the morning to
march from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through some principal streets of Accra, before converging at the Independence Square for the address of the President and the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
This year’s May Day events had the theme, “Sustainable Pension for all: The Role of Social Partners.”
In his address, President Nana Akufo-Addo commended Ghanaian workers for their contributions to Ghana’s development in the face of many challenges, including that of pensions and emoluments.
“Our nation Ghana at 62 years remains very much a work in progress. A lot of things remain to be done to improve upon the quality of our lives in all three stages – the period of preparation to work, the period during which we work and the period during which we take a deserved rest from work,” he said, assuring workers that their plight was his concern.
In his address, the Secretary-General of the TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah, on behalf of Organised Labour, praised the various unions for their fortitude and resilience towards achieving a common goal.
DAP/GIK/APA