Ghana@60 Committee outdoors anniversary cloth

GNA – The Ghana @ 60 Planning Committee, on Thursday, unveiled the anniversary cloth and entertaining programmes lined up for the country’s Diamond Anniversary.

The cloth, which features mainly the anniversary logo of three persons in an embrace to signify the unity in diversity of Ghanaians, is in four different colours. The national colours are imprinted on the fringes.

Addressing a media conference at the Black Stars Square, in Accra, to outdoor the cloth, Mr. Kenneth Amankwa, the Chairperson of the Committee, said the cloth was printed by the Akosombo Textiles Limited, within two weeks.

He said Ghanaian industries had the creative abilities to produce for both the local and international markets and thus, urged Ghanaians to patronise products made in Ghana, saying: “Let’s grow our own and eat our own”.

The recommended prices for the cloth are as follows: GH¢220.00 per 12 yards for wholesalers; and GH¢240.00 for retailers.

He said UNIBANK provided funding for the production of the cloth and commended corporate bodies that had so far supported the Committee.

Mr Amankwa appealed to the others “to come on-board.”

Mr. Laud Commey, the Chairperson of the Events Sub-Committee, explained that the Committee’s Secretariat had no business selling anniversary cloths, but only supported its production.

He said after the printing of the cloth, it gave the right of sale to wholesalers, Makola Market Women and the Cloth Dealers Association.

He explained that President Nana Akufo-Addo wanted Ghanaians to own the logo and the theme for the anniversary, therefore, businesses, small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and individuals were not required to pay royalties before using them for business purposes.

Therefore, he said, any Ghanaian could use the logo to print T’shirts, caps and any other saleable item so that Ghanaians would make money out of the celebration.

“We’re using Ghana at 60 to put money into people’s pockets and create jobs, he said, adding: “I can see people have even started already with brochures… all over the place; we’ll not take any commission from anybody’’.

He said most of the activities rolled-out were people’s creative ideas and the Ghana at 60 Secretariat was just partnering them in terms of providing protocols and venues for the organisation of those activities.

Mr. Commey noted that some sections of the public were churning out half-truth about the cost of organising programmes lined up for the celebration.

He explained that the International Gospel Concert, which the renowned gospel musician, Don Moen and other international gospel musicians, would feature, was one of the ideas mooted by the Reverend Joshua Alphonso Tetteh Cheataa-Laryea, popularly known as Josh Laryea, a gospel musician and his colleagues.

“Change has come, maybe in the past, they would have spent millions of Ghana cedis on Don Moen, but now we are not spending one cedi,” he said.

“We are going to provide Independence Square free of charge for the Don Moen Group Concert and the PA system that will be used on March 6, and the stage for the VVIPs will be available for them to use, and also provide them protocol, that’s all we are going to do, so the propagandists must stop,” he stated.

MUSIGA would also stage a musical concert from March 10 to 12, which would chronicle Ghanaian music from Independence to date.

The Ghana Actors Guild would also re-enact the 28 February Crossroad Shooting incidents, while there would be inter-schools debates and quiz competitions across the country.

The year-long celebration is on the theme: “Ghana, 60 years on, mobilising for Ghana’s future.”

GNA