She said it behoves on all and sundry to accord the Police with the maximum respect to carry out its mandate of ensuring peace and order for effective and efficient governance system.

The Deputy Minister stated at the 62nd Independence Anniversary celebration in Accra organized by the La Dede-Kotopon Municipal Assembly at the fore court of the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre in La.

The programme was on the theme; "Celebrating Peace and Unity".

The ceremony brought together 15 basic primary and Junior High Schools (JHS) within the municipality and four Senior High Schools (SHS), participating in the Independence Day parade to the admiration of the audience.

Bands in attendance were the Services Schools Band, Aquinas SHS Brass Band, Labone SHS Brass Band and OLIS Basic School Band.

She said the day was to remind Ghanaians about the country's strength and unity towards the struggle for Independence, adding that, the event would spur on many people to know more about the country.

Mrs Sackey said the celebration would also help dispel the prejudices of the unknown in the minds of people about the country and appreciate the great potential and heritage of the nation.

"After 62-years of Independence, the country's success should be counted by the number of people educated with significant impact of job opportunities and not the number of people indulging in social vices like vigilantism, theft, violence, among others", she added.

She called for protection of the environment and God's creation from destruction, stressing that the fight against illegal mining was a good step to preserve the environment for future generations.

Mrs Bernice Adua Mensah, the Municipal Director of Education said the theme for the anniversary was timely, adding that, as a nation, "we need to live in harmony with one another to bring about the much-needed development".

She expressed appreciation to stakeholders in education in the municipality including circuit supervisors, head teachers, teachers and students for their smart turn-out and participation in the celebration.

The Vision Seed Academy and the SLEP School displayed some traditional dances which depicted the country's rich culture including adowa, kete, agbadza to the admiration of the audience.

The La Presbyterian SHS emerged the best school for the parade, followed by St Thomas Aquinas SHS and Armed Forces SHS.

For the JHS department, Arakan Basic School won the best school for the parade, followed by Garrison Basic School and God Almighty King Universal School.

The award winners were presented with plaques while all the schools were presented with certificates for participation.