When I was growing up, we studied a subject called Civic Education (Civics) for two years in Primary School. One of the key areas of the subject was a study into the national symbols – National Flag, Coat of Arms, National Anthem, National Pledge, National Orders, Awards and Adinkra symbols, etc,
With respect to the National Flag, we were taught the essence of the colours – RED, GOLD (not Yellow as we teach children today) and GREEN. We were also taught that the Black Lode Star representing the African continent in the yellow also served as a connector between the RED (blood and toils of our fathers) and the GREEN (rich forests and wealth of the country). It was therefore not for nothing that the topmost point of the star touches the RED while the two bottom points of the star touches the GREEN.
I have however witnessed in recent years a worrying situation where our State Protocol Department (SPD) watches on as we deploy into the public domain, purported Ghana Flags that do not represent exactly what the Ghana Flag is supposed to represent sometimes in colour variant but more critically the sizing and positioning of the BLACK STAR. We saw it under H.E. John Mahama, and it’s continuing under H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo.
Ghanaians are very proud people when it gets to its State emblems and I don’t think the desecration of these emblems by the very institution (SPD) that was created to protect it, is acceptable, to say the least.
It’s about time our State Protocol Department and its sister institutions get more meticulous in its deployment of our national emblems. Our emblems represent our being and it’s their job to protect them and they cannot fail us in this.
My dear friend,