Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has called on the government to invest funds reserved for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations on developmental projects instead.
According to her, taking into consideration the current state of the economy, investing money meant for the event into projects that will inure to the benefit of the citizens was a better option.
Her comment is in reaction to the government’s announcement that this year’s 6th March celebrations will be held in the capital of the Volta Region, Ho.
This year’s anniversary celebration will mark 66 years of Ghanaian independence.
Speaking to Citi News on the sidelines of a public lecture organized by the University of Ghana on the country’s 66th Independence, the former Chief Justice urged government to invest the money into a project that will last, rather than the one-day wonder.
“We should celebrate our Independence Day but to gather and march does not matter. I think whatever money is going to be spent on this celebration with everybody going to the Volta region, if they had selected a deprived district and built a new school or selected a ramshackle district hospital or health centre and upgraded it and named it Independence school or independence hospital, it will be good.
“Then every year they pick a region and a project and do it, that would be money better spent…this will inure to the benefit of the people, and it will last, but they are going to talk, march, eat and come back and then that’s all.”
King Charles’s recent visit to the Vatican may appear to be simply a symbolic gesture of ecumenical goodwill. But moments like this provide an opportunity…
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/small-dog-rides-a-bus-in-venice.jpg?id=58233931&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=45%2C0%2C45%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>After being allowed on the metro, dogs in Montreal may soon be hopping on STM buses too. A new motion has been adopted to pave the way for a pilot project testing this initiative starting in 2026.</p><p>At a <a href="https://montreal.ca/evenements/seance-du-conseil-municipal-79644" target="_blank">March 18 city council meeting</a>, a motion proposed by opposition party Ensemble Montréal was approved to launch a pilot program that would permit passengers to bring their dogs on <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/societe-de-transport-de-montreal" target="_blank">Société de transport de Montréal (STM) </a>buses. This decision follows the success of a trial program <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/montreals-metro-is-loosening-the-leash-letting-dogs-ride-as-of-october-15" target="_blank">allowing dogs on the metro</a>, which has been in place since 2022.</p><p>But why is it being postponed until 2026?</p><p>Part of the reason comes from a <a href="https://www.stm.info/en/press/press-releases/2025/stm-testifies-on-the-impact-of-the-homelessness-crisis-on-its-mission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new memo released by the STM</a> confirms a sharp rise in disorder, drug use, and safety concerns, painting a troubling picture of Montreal's transit system.</p><p>"With the current homelessness crisis, we don’t have the capacity to implement this in the coming months. But by pushing it to late 2026, we believe the situation will have stabilized, allowing us to properly develop a future pilot project," explained Sylvain Ouellet, city councillor and STM board member. </p><p>There are also logistical challenges to consider, as "the metro and bus are two very different environments," Ouellet noted. In the metro, passengers who are allergic or uncomfortable can simply switch cars, whereas on a bus, space is more limited. Additionally, metro trains run frequently, giving passengers the option to wait for the next one if necessary, while buses operate on less frequent schedules, offering less flexibility.</p><p>To ensure a smooth experience for both humans and pups, rules similar to those in the metro will need to be established. Dogs would only be allowed on buses outside of peak hours, must be leashed and muzzled, and each passenger would be limited to bringing one dog aboard.</p><p>Following this announcement, the Montreal SPCA expressed excitement about the decision, celebrating the city's move to join major cities like Calgary, Toronto, Copenhagen, London, Boston, Lyon, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, and Helsinki, where dogs are already allowed on public buses.</p><p> “We hope other cities in Quebec will follow suit!” the animal shelter stated.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cc8a975fb968bef3f71b9a032952ba6c"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1061601872676866&set=a.554114330092292&type=3&ref=embed_post"></div></div><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p>
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