From Dr. Samuel Adjei Sarfo

On the occasion of the 57th independence anniversary of the motherland, I extend to you abundant goodwill and eternal felicitation.

This day is the time for reflection on the value of our liberation from the yoke of colonialism and the shackles of foreign domination. A nation that is nearly six score years old should see herself rise from one level of prosperity to another in order to confer hope on its people. But hitherto, the task of nation building has been daunting, giving rise to skepticism as to what the future holds and what the purpose of our independence has been.

But the present trajectory of our nation does not justify the diminishment of our hope nor lead to disillusionment from our dreams. We have a vibrant democracy, an active population and an enthusiastic citizenry. We are not afflicted by war or rumors of war. There is neither drought nor earthquake nor pestilence. And our natural and human resources remain abundant, ready to be tapped for our future prosperity. So then, the attitude on this independence day ought to be that of gratitude, optimism and hope, and in hoping, we must pledge to do our utmost best to make our nation greater and better.

It is possible to look into the abstract for a divine hand of salvation; but we must ourselves be the conduit for the proper workings of the divine. For the work of nation building begins with the character of the individual, and extends to the family, and to the society before percolating to the country. A nation prospers by dint of its citizens' commitment to the ideals of duty and patriotism. And we perform this duty and portray this patriotism through acts of honesty, fidelity and charity and a conscious awareness that we are all ambassadors of a great nation to which we owe perpetual allegiance, service and sacrifice.

Happy independence day to you all, and may God grant you long life, health, wealth and happiness.

Samuel Adjei Sarfo, Doctor of Law, is a general legal practitioner and President of the Ghanaian Association of Austin, Texas. You can email him at sarfoadjei@yahoo.com.