On Friday, March 6, 2026, Ghana commemorated its 69th Independence anniversary with various events and activities not only across the country but also at Ghanaian embassies and high commissions around the world.

The excitement displayed by many Ghanaians was impressive.

Rev. Emmanuel KB Quayson, Senior Apostle/Author, reflecting on the 69th Independence Day celebrations and the reports of events held worldwide, said he had mixed feelings.

He shared in the excitement, particularly when he reflected on the many challenges Ghanaians have survived over 69 years of national life, including the 1983 drought and bush fires that resulted in severe famine across the country.

He expressed that Ghana has not succeeded in achieving the ideals and aspirations of independence, building a truly united, peaceful and economically self-reliant nation, which the country’s founding fathers envisaged and fought for.

Rev. Quayson further explained that Ghana has been relatively peaceful and democratically stable, particularly under the Fourth Republic (since 1993), but he believes the country could do better.

While questioning the excitement that characterised Ghana’s 69th Independence Day celebrations, he asked whether that excitement will translate into practical, everyday commitments to build Ghana into a great, strong and prosperous country.

He believes that Ghana should understand that building a united, peaceful, stable and prosperous nation is a collective responsibility of all citizens, including government, businesspeople, private, and public-sector professionals, traditional leaders, students, civil society organisations, labour unions, political parties, farmers and the clergy.

Rev. Quayson reaffirmed that Ghanaians must move from blaming the past to taking ownership and responsibility for building Ghana.

In his book Beyond Partisan Politics: A Call to Nation‑Building, Rev. Quayson references a statement credited to Martin Luther King Jr., which reads: "A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends; and when the soul of a nation long suppressed, finds utterance."

Story by: Senior Apostle/Author — Rev. Emmanuel KB Quayson