GESlessons/Ghana My Country
Contents
THE SYMBOLS OF NATIONAL UNITY
They are symbols which make individuals of different cultures feel a sense of togetherness and belongingness as one people of one nation.
The symbols of national unity include:
- The National Pledge
- The National Anthem
- The National Flag
- The Coat of Arms
- The State Sword and Arch
- The Currency (Ghana Cedi or GH¢)
- The State Sceptre
THE NATIONAL PLEDGE
I promise on my honour to be faithful and loyal to Ghana my motherland.
I pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.
I promise to hold in high esteem our heritage, won for us through the blood and toil of our fathers;
and I pledge myself in all things to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana.
So help me God.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
God Bless our homeland Ghana,
And make our nation great and strong,
Bold to defend for ever the cause of Freedom and of Right.
Fill our hearts with true humility
Make us cherish fearless honesty,
And help us to resist oppressor's rule
With all our will and might for evermore.
Hail to thy name, O Ghana.
To thee we make our solemn vow;
Steadfast to build together
A nation stong in Unity;
With our gifts of mind and strength of arm,
Whether night or day, in mist or storm,
In every need whate'er the call may be,
To serve thee, Ghana, now and evermore.
Raise high the flag of Ghana,
And one with Africa advance;
Black Star of hope and honour,
To all who thirst for liberty;
Where the naner of Ghana freely flies,
May the way to freedom truly lie
Arise, arise, O sons of Ghanaland.
And under God march on for evermore.
THE NATIONAL FLAG OF GHANA
The flag of Ghana was designed by Mrs. Theodosia Okoh to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957. It was flown until 1959, and then reinstated in 1966. The Ghanaian flag was the first African flag after the flag of Ethiopia to feature these colours.
The colours of the natioanl flag of Ghana are red, yellow(gold) and green. There is a Black Star in the middle of the yellow. The strips of the flag lie horizontally.
The red stands for those who fought and shed their blood for the independence of Ghana. The yellow stands for the mineral wealth of Ghana (i.e. gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, etc.) The green stands for the agricultural wealth of Ghana (i.e. Cocoa, Kola, Coffee, timber, etc).
The black star stands for the hope of Africa.
THE COAT OF ARMS OF GHANA
The Ghana's coat of arm is the emblem or badge of the nation. It is usually found on certain properties of the government or the state. The coat of arms of Ghana has the following features.
- It has a shield in the middle. The shield stands for a weapon which helps us to fight ignorance, illitracy and all forms of social problems.
- It has a Black Star which rests on the shield.
- The shield carried by two large eagles. Eagles are the strongest of all birds. This means that our freedom is safe and our country is well protected. The eagles have proudly worn the Black Star medals around their necks. This means that we must be proud that we are Africans.
