- Title: GHANA: INAUGURATION OF SECOND REPUBLIC AND STATE BANQUET
- Date: 3rd October 1969
- Summary: 1. GV CROWD IN STAND 0.05 2. TV OFFICIAL CARS ARRIVE 0.10 3. TV OCRAN OUT OF CAR 0.13 4. SV HARLLEY 0.16 5. SV AFRICA SALUTES & JOINS HARLLEY 0.23 6. GV & CU OFFICIALS & SPECTATORS 0.29 7. GV PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION SALUTE AS TROOPS MARCH PAST (3 SHOTS) 0.45 8. SV AFRICA, OCRAN & DR BUSIA SALUTING 0.48 9. GV CADETS MARCH PAST 0.51 10. GTV BANQUET 0.58 11. SV GUESTS 1.01 12. CU AFRICA SPEAKS 1.04 13. SCU HARLLEY LISTENING 1.10 14. CU OCRAN 1.14 15. CU FORMER NLC MEMBERS 1.19 16. SCU DR BUSIA SPEAKS 1.25 17. SV BUSIA & OTHERS TOASTING 1.28 18. CU PRESIDENT TUBMAN PROPOSES TOAST 1.38 19. SV AFRICA, TUBMAN & OTHERS RAISE GLASSES 1.43 20. SV HARLLEY & OTHERS SIT DOWN 1.47 Initials GL/VS/PW/SGM GL/PN/SGM Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 18th October 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ACCRA, GHANA
- Country: Ghana
- Reuters ID: LVADJXNLMOSZWI7C28V3UR7F9V1Z
- Story Text: GHANA'S NEW CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT WAS USHERED IN AMID CHEERS FROM SOME 50,000 GHANAIANS AND IN THE PRESENCE OF DELEGATIONS FROM A DOZEN AFRICAN STATES, AT AN IMPOSING CEREMONY IN ACCRA'S BLACK STAR SQUARE ON WEDNESDAY (1 OCT).
THE CEREMONY WAS FOLLOWED BY A STATE BANQUET AT WHICH PRESIDENT TUBMAN OF LIBERIA WAS THE PRINCIPAL GUEST SPEAKER.
AT THE PARADE WERE THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION WHICH HAS TAKEN OVER THE ROLE OF CHIEF OF STATE -- BRIGADIER AFRICA, MAJOR-GENERAL OCRAN AND MR C.W.C. HARLLEY -- TOOK THE SALUTE AS TROOPS AND CADETS MARCHED PAST. THEY WERE JOINED ON THE ROSTRUM BY DR. KOFIA BUSIA, WHO TAKES OVER THE RUNNING OF THE COUNTRY AS LEADER OF THE PROGRESS PARTY WHICH WON THE AUGUST ELECTIONS.
IN THE EVENING A STATE BANQUET AND BALL WAS HELD AT THE STATE HOUSE. THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION MEMBERS WERE JOINED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE NOW-DISSOLVED NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL, WHICH HAS RULED GHANA SINCE 1966.
BRIGADIER AFRICA SPOKE FIRST, AND PROPOSED A TOAST FOR THE PEACE AND PROSPERITY OF GHANA. HE SAID GHANA NEEDED FOR THE FUTURE "A SOBER REFLECTION AND NO MORE RABBLES." HE PLEDGED THAT THE ARMED FORCES WOULD BE LOYAL TO THE STATE AND PRIME MINISTER.
DR BUSIA, SECONDING THE TOAST, SAID GHANAIANS HOPED FOR A LONG LIFE SO THAT TOGETHER THEY COULD BUILD A HAPPIER WORLD.
REPLYING, PRESIDENT TUBMAN OF LIBERIA SAID HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES PRAYED FOR THE SUCCESS OF GHANA'S EXPERIMENT. HE HOPED THE LEAD THE PEOPLE OF GHANA HAD TAKEN WOULD NOT ONLY BELONG TO HISTORY BUT WOULD ALSO BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
AMONG THE GUESTS PRESENT AT THE BANQUET WERE PRESIDENT ZINSOU OF DAHOMEY, SIR DAUDA JAWARA, PRIME MINISTER OF GAMBIA, AND DELEGATES FROM NIGER, NIGERIA, TOGO, UPPER VOLTA, SIERRA LEONE AND MALI.
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