SECAM PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES GHANA AND CALL FOR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

ACCRA, Ghana, March 6, 2024/SECAM – On the occasion of the celebration of the sixty-seventh anniversary of the independence of Ghana, His Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo-Besungu, President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) congratulated the Ghanaian people whom he invited “to always keep the flame of independence burning for the dignity of all African peoples”. This was during a declaration made on March 6 in Accra on the sidelines of the first annual meeting of the SECAM Standing Committee for the year 2024.

In his statement, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo-Besungu rejoiced at being present in Accra, the Ghanaian capital with members of the Standing Committee of SECAM on this memorable day for this country and for the African continent. “On the occasion of the celebration of the sixty-seventh anniversary of Ghana’s independence, I am very happy to be here in Accra, on the day that this country is celebrating its national day.”

On this historic day for Ghana and also for Africa, he declared, “I express a single wish to the Ghanaian people, to always keep this flame burning for the dignity of the African people.”

Furthermore, the President of SECAM declared, “This fight for the dignity of the African people does not stop only with the political independence, but we must today across Africa acquire our economic independence, our respectability and our dignity in the committee of nations.”

He noted: “across Africa, especially black Africa, the independence of Ghana allowed the access of other countries to independence, notably the Congo.” Continuing his statement, the Archbishop of Kinshasa paid tribute to the memory of “the illustrious figure of Kwame Nkrumah who fought hard for the independence of Ghana”. “I know that Patrice Lumumba who is the father of Congo’s independence came here to Accra to exchange and seek ideas from Kwame Nkrumah.”

Still talking about the man who was the first president of independent Ghana, Cardinal Ambongo added that today we find again on the continent, even in his family in DR Congo, many people named after Kwame Nkrumah. “This shows how much relevance Ghana’s independence has for the entire African continent,” he concluded. On behalf of SECAM the Cardinal then congratulated the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and all the Catholic faithful for their witness and commitment to the Gospel of Christ over the years and wished them and their country many happy prosperous returns of the celebration.

SECAM Communication Office