President Kabbah At President John Kufuor's Inauguration
By Marian Samu

At a colourful and very impressive ceremony held at the Independence Square in Accra, Ghana, on Friday 7th January 2005, President John Agyekum Kufuor, before a constituted parliament, took the oath of office to mark his second term in office.

In his inaugural address President John Kufuor thanked the people of Ghana for giving him another opportunity to serve as Head of State. Reflecting on the early days of independence, President Kufuor stated that as Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to have gained independence and with no example on the continent to emulate, the people had to learn at great cost that there was more to nation building.

President Kufuor reflected on the words of the late President Richard Nixon, the then American Vice President who on the day of their independence celebrations asked the then outgoing Governor-General, "...will it work?" He said that it had taken Ghana forty years since 6th March 1957, the day they had their independence, to work out their way and he can proudly say today that "it is working".
President Kufour said as the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence they had to ensure that it worked. He referred to Ghana as the political guinea pig, which became the experimental ground for every imaginable political ideology and system of government, known and unknown; including one-party rule, and military dictatorships of every description, to democratic multi-party government by 1992.

The nation, he observed, having embraced the rule of law and having stabilized the economy and engendered an enabling atmosphere with the goodwill and support of her development partners, should be moving ahead at an accelerated pace without lots of hindrance.

President Kufuor expressed optimism about Ghana describing it and its people as a prosperous and self-confident people in a politically stable and maturing country, a country at peace with itself and governing itself with a clear sense of direction and according to enlightened laws

Dwelling on the theme of his slogan "POSITIVE CHANGE", he admonished his people that to be able to realize this vision, the nation must develop its human resource base adequately, and this means that Ghana must have a population that is well educated to meet the challenges of the modern world. They must promote good health and fight old diseases like Malaria, as well as new ones like HIV/AIDS, promote a business and entrepreneurial sector which is able to exploit her many resources and compete effectively in the international marketplace.

But all of this, he said, must take place in an environment of sustained GOOD GOVERNANCE. "This is the critical pivot that ensures the peace and stability needed for development", President Kufuor said.
He paid special tribute to his brother Presidents and visiting dignitaries, thanking them for their cooperation and encouragement. President Kufuor pledged that Ghana will continue to discharge her commitments to ECOWAS and the AFRICAN UNION. On the broader international front, he pledged that Ghana will continue to support the cause of peace and understanding.

He appealed to his countrymen to rededicate themselves to the disciplines, sacrifices, and hard work that are necessary to make this vision a reality, not forgetting the legacy left to them by the founding fathers in the national motto of Freedom and Justice. He also appealed to all his fellow politicians to make a special effort to play by the rules and rebuild confidence in politics and political institutions.
"We must acknowledge that in trying to destroy our political opponents, we often end up destroying the confidence of the people we seek to lead, and instead, plant deep mistrust that becomes almost impossible to uproot. Ghana deserves better."

President Kufuor also called on the young people of Ghana to take advantage of the blossoming opportunities and prepare themselves for the challenges of the modern world.

The inauguration ceremony was followed by an inaugural lunch and dinner and President Kabbah was also guest of honour at both occasions.

Speaking at the inaugural dinner later in the evening, the guest speaker, President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, acknowledged the great strides President Kufuor had been making in bringing positive changes in Ghana. He emphasized the importance of sub-regional integration through ECOWAS, and particularly the greater regional integration through the African Union, especially for political and economic prosperity. This, he said, has already started through the strides to introduce a single currency in the ECOWAS region, and NEPAD for the whole of the African continent. He appealed to his colleague Presidents to support a one Africa programme.

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