....It was pomp and pagentry (Page 3)

January 8, 2009.

A LARGE crowd of Ghanaians, most of them beautifully dressed in the national colours of red, gold and green and the colours of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), yesterday converged on the Independence Square to witness the swearing-in ceremony of Professor J.E.A. Mills as the third President of the Fourth Republic.
The crowd, which was made up of men, women and children from all walks of life, started arriving at the Independence Square before 4 am for the programme, which officially began after 2 p.m.
Like all national events, there was quite a number of traditional rulers, members of the clergy, politicians, members of the Diplomatic Corps, security personnel, as well as members the general public, who appeared in their traditional wear.
When the Daily Graphic arrived at the Independence Square at 9.15 a.m., there was a large number of buses parked around the square and the offices around the Ohene Djan Stadium, with inscriptions to indicate which part of the country the buses had come from.
Smartly dressed personnel of Zoomlion Company, a waste management company, were seen busily cleaning the square, even though the crowd continued to litter the place.
The chiefs, some in the company of their queens and elders, displayed the rich culture of Ghana with the types of cloths they wore, the ornaments they adorned, the stools or skins they occupied, as well as the umbrellas they sat under.
Unlike the supporters of the NDC who wore attires in the party’s colours, with other paraphernalia to go with, almost all the party officials who were present were seen in white apparel, with various shades of the national colours designed in them.
There was also a large number of foreign and local media practitioners who had pitched camp to cover the event live on either television or radio. Others from the print media were not left out.
About 12 noon foreign Heads of State, members of the Diplomatic Corps and international and local organisations started arriving at the grounds, which was under tight security provided by the police and the military.
It was a hectic time getting access to the venue, as cars had parked along the road leading to the square from as far back as the Ridge Hospital.
At the entrance, journalists and other invited guests had to struggle to go through the crowd because most of the people had converged there, trying to enter the inner perimeter of the square.
Later, the newly sworn in Members of Parliament (MPs) had to abandon their buses near the stadium and walk to the venue because there was no access.
It was around the same time that the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, arrived, amidst cheers from the crowd.
That was followed by the arrival of the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood; the Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, and other dignitaries.
As the foreign dignitaries were arriving, the former Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, arrived, followed by the Immediate Past President, Mr J.A. Kufuor, and later former President J.J. Rawlings, and his wife, Nana Konadu.
All of a sudden, the crowd at the right side of the dais broke the barricade, pushed the security men aside and surged forward close to where the leaders were seated.
As if that action was co-ordinated, others on the right side and those directly opposite the presidential dais also did the same, making the place very uncontrollable for the security personnel.
The problem with the crowd was compounded by a large number of both accredited and non-accredited photographers who deprived the chiefs, the MPs and other dignitaries the opportunity to witness the swearing-in ceremony.
In spite of all these, the ceremony went on smoothly, without any hitch to the dignitaries.
The sale of food, drinks, party paraphernalia and other items was at its peak. Stalls were set up from behind the Independence Square all the way to the Ohene Gyan Sports Stadium and beyond.
Cobblers were another group of people who made a lot of money because many of the people who were caught up in the stampede at the square had their footwear damaged.
When the programme was over and the dignitaries were leaving, former President Rawlings was virtually taken hostage on the VIP dais by hundreds of NDC supporters who had thronged the Independence Square to witness the ceremony, writes Timothy Gobah.
For well over 30 minutes Flt Lt Rawlings and his wife could not move, as the enthusiastic crowd besieged the dais to get closer to the former first couple.
While they screamed the names of the former couple, a few dignitaries and traditional rulers also tried to force their way onto the dais to extend their congratulations to them on their hard work and support for Prof Mills to wrest power from the NPP.
Flt Lt Rawlings later succumbed to pressure and, in his usual fashion, acknowledged cheers from the massive crowd by literally blowing a kiss into the air.
The former President, who looked more cheerful and relaxed, told the Daily Graphic in a brief interview that the NDC victory was for Ghanaians in particular and democracy in general.
He, therefore, called on all, regardless of one’s party affiliation, to come together in building a formidable nation.
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