The Information Minister has debunked suggestions that Sunday’s event to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the 4^th Republic is the President’s attempt to celebrate his inauguration.

Mustapha Hamid said if President Akufo-Addo wants to celebrate his one year in office, he will do that without any problems.  

According to him, all the political parties who met with President at the Flagstaff House on Thursday to plan the event could not have conspired to help Akufo-Addo to celebrate his swearing-in.

“A few days after the event, he will do a press conference to mark his one year in office,” he disclosed.

Mr Hamid said the 4^th Republic will be 25 years on January 7, 2018, and the President thought that it is a good time for all Ghanaians to come together to thank God.

This is the first time in the history of the country that it has survived 25 years as a republic without any military interventions.

The 1^st Republic survived for six years and it was truncated. The 2^nd Republic also lasted for 24 months and it was also truncated.

The 3^rd Republic lasted for 28 months which was followed by over a decade of military rule. In 1992 the 4^th Republic was ushered in with Jerry John Rawlings as President of the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Dominic Ayine

Explaining the rationale behind the celebration, Mr Hamid said the President thought that marking 25^th Anniversary of the 4th Republic was the most important milestone for all the political parties to come together.

“By extension, all Ghanaians will come together as one, hold hands and remind ourselves that we are one people with the same destiny.

“They will make a commitment to allow this republic to live beyond another 25 years," he said.

But former Attorney General Dominic Ayine said although he agrees with celebrating a landmark in the country’s constitutional democracy, the idea of celebrating it on Jan 7 is a smokescreen.

“It gives me cause to believe that this is just another attempt to celebrate the victory of the NPP masqueraded as the celebration of the 4^th Republic.

“The coincidence is something that must give us a cause for concern,” he said.

He argues that if the celebration is to encompass all Ghanaians the planning should have included people in the districts and regions.

According to Mr Ayine, President Akufo-Addo could have easily asked Ghanaians to pray for the nation and not waste taxpayers money to organize an event.

“We don’t need to do that. We have a lot of use for taxpayers money for Free SHS, social services in health and so on,” he added.