Tema, March 6, GNA – A total of 1,320 students drawn from 20 Basic and Senior High Schools in the Tema Metropolis participated in a parade at Tema on Wednesday to mark Ghana’s 56th Independence anniversary.
The schools represented the three constituencies in the metropolis namely Tema East, Tema West and Tema Central.
The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘partnership and Innovation for building a New Better Ghana’.
The students, who were smartly dressed, marched to music provided by the Tema Diocesan Brigade Band at the Tema Sports Stadium which served as the parade ground.
While students from the Datus School Complex performed a display of acrobatics and gymnastic, the State School for the Deaf also impressed dignitaries and residents present at the parade with their cultural display on promoting unity in the country.
Prizes were awarded to Rosharon Montessori School, St Alban Anglican Basic School and St Paul Methodist School for emerging the first, second and third respectively in the march pass under the basic school category.
Chemu SHS, Presbyterian SHS and Corpus Christi SHS also received plaques and certificates for claiming the first, second and third positions respectively under the SHS category.
Mr Kempes Ofosuware, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, addressing the parade said the biggest challenge facing the metropolis was poor sanitation practices and inadequate revenue mobilization.
Mr Ofosuware therefore called for behavioral change and the observation of good sanitation and environmental practices.
He also appealed to residents and traders to honour their tax obligations to enable the assembly to mobilize enough revenue to develop the metropolis.
GNA