SENIOR CITIZENS DAY MARKED IN TANO SOUTH DISTRICT

As part of activities to mark the 56^th Anniversary of Ghana’s Republic Day celebration, a Senior Citizen Day was marked in the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

To mark the day at the residency of the District Chief Executive at Bechem, over four hundred Senior Citizens, Opinion Leaders, Nananom, Assembly Members and Representatives of Political Parties drawn from all parts of the district were invited to a get – together and an interaction session with government officials.

In a welcome address, the Presiding Member of the Tano South District Assembly Hon. Anthony Opoku expressed his gratitude and that of the Assembly to all gathered for honouring the invitation to attend the day’s activity. He said, the day has been set aside to honour the role senior citizens have played in the developmental efforts of the country and also to wish all senior citizens well in the days ahead.

Hon. Opoku said, the day also gives the older generation the opportunity to share their past experiences with the younger generation and also discuss matters of national interest.

The Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba in his anniversary speech used the occasion to welcome each and everybody at the function and expressed his profound gratitude and appreciation for honouring the invitation.

He said, the day marks an important day set aside to pay homage to the sons and daughters of this Republic whose life and vision has brought the country this far and said, it was through the efforts of these selfless Senior Citizens that ensured the realization of the Republican Status on 1^st July, 1960.

Hon. Anaba said, it saddens his heart that many of us today have so soon forgotten about the sacrifices, sufferings, humiliations and difficulties our fore bearers went through in other to attain freedom and self – rule for us to enjoy and reiterated that indeed, the actions and inactions of the cross – section of the current generations make him wonder why we have become so individualistic and are only interested in means to achieve our parochial interest at the detriment of the country.

Hon. Anaba said, many people who led the struggle for self-rule were better placed in the society and every opportunity was available to them during the Colonial Regime but they were more interested in the betterment of the majority of Ghanaians and not of a few and asked how many of us today are willing and ready to do a quarter of what our exemplary senior citizens have done and why this negative attitude on the part of the current generation.

Hon. Anaba said, no individual can solve all the challenges this country is confronted with and said it requires collective efforts from each and every one of us to be able to surmount the numerous problems, otherwise Regimes will come and go but the obstacle will still exist and said a fundamental question we should ask ourselves is what Legacy are we going to bequeath to the generation yet unborn so that we could be celebrated in future as well.

Hon Anaba said, the current government being mindful of the numerous challenges affecting our country has taken the necessary steps to improve the well- being of Ghanaians and cited many infrastructural projects ranging from roads, hospitals, education, and provision of portable water and host of social interventions policies of which our District is a beneficiary.

Hon Anaba said, the District experienced some fire and rainstorm disasters during the last quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016 in which 59 people were affected and appealed to all present to guard against actions that could bring about the repeat of these disasters in the District.

 Hon Anaba called on Nananom, the Clergy, all political parties and all and sundry to play a lead role to ensure peace before, during and after the 2016 elections and finally ended up by calling on all to also play an active role and participation in the National Sanitation Day Exercises.

The senior citizens were feted with drinks and meals amid music and dancing whilst experiences, suggestions, and contributions on the development of the District and the Nation were shared and as questions were also asked during the open forum.

In his remarks, the chairman for the occasion Nana Awuah Boadi who stood in for the Omanhene of the Bechem Traditional Area said, the senior citizens day has been set aside to mark Ghana’s Republic Day Celebration and used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to our fore – fathers who through blood and toil fought to attain independence and Republican Status for the country.

Touching on the Tano South District, Nana Awuah Boadi said, through collective efforts many things could be done to develop the Tano South District and urged all and sundry to contribute their quota towards the development of the district.

Nana hinted that the district during the early part of the year experienced some armed robbery cases and urged the District Police Command to take steps to fight this crime wave.