“All too soon we are gathered once again to commemorate Ghana’s attainment of a Republican status some 55 years ago. We must all thank God for keeping this country together and blessing us for all these years.

“Indeed, God has really blessed our homeland Ghana and all of us must appreciate that and continue to contribute significantly to the growth and development of this country,” he said at a ceremony to honour senior citizens in the district as part of the commemoration of the day.

Mr Laa-Bandow said the senior citizens have worked tirelessly during their youthful ages to secure a future for the nation.

“Our grand fathers and mothers whom we honour today have paid their dues fully towards the forward march of this country and we have no excuse to fail in giving them this recognition.”

Mr Laa-Bandow said: “I wish to implore the youth to see the old in our society as heroes and role models whom we can all emulate to make our country greater and stronger.

“We are blessed to have these senior citizens whose experience we can tap to improve upon the way we conduct ourselves towards our personal development and the development of our society and country.”

The DCE asked the senior citizens to make their experience readily available to the current crop of work force so that the good foundation they provided for the society could be built upon as they envisaged during their ‘hay’ days.

He said as a people, “We have a culture and values which our forefathers as well as the present senior citizens have upheld over the years to ensure that our National identity is kept.”

Mr Laa-Bandow said the youth of today, have lost the national identity and are also embroiled in moral decay, adding: “If we want to be honoured and celebrated tomorrow like our fathers and mothers… we need to re-examine our lives and act in ways that will compel our countrymen to honour us in the future.”

“Let us also strife to be part of the success story our country one day in the same way that our senior citizens and all our forefathers, including our past political leaders, chiefs and civil servants and civil society generally are being celebrated today.”

The DCE said people should be should not be oblivious of the role played by the first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and all those who supported him not only to attain independence and achieving a republican status for the country.

He said but for their hard work and commitment, Ghana would probably not have been where it is today.

He said although Ghanaians have political, chieftaincy, and other differences, it should not be allowed to erode peace and unity.