Claim: President Mahama says 68th Independence Day Celebration cost GH¢1.5 million
Source: GhanaWeb
Verdict: False
Researched by Nusrat Essah
GhanaWeb, a popular online news platform, published a report claiming President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that the organization of the 68th Independence Day celebration cost GH¢1.5 million.
The report published on March 6, 2025, the day of the celebration, was titled: “From GH¢15m to GH¢1.5m: President Mahama discloses cost of 68th Independence Day celebration.”
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A quote attributed to the president, read as follows: “Today’s celebration costs GH¢1.5 million, which is only one-tenth of what it would have cost to hold it at the Independence Square. The cost of last year’s celebration in Koforidua was GH¢15 million. The previous year, when it was held in Ho, it cost GH¢13.7 million.
“Holding the same event at the Independence Square this year on the same scale as previous years would have cost a minimum of GH¢20 million.”
Fig 1: Screenshot of GhanaWeb’s report
This fact-check seeks to verify whether Mahama disclosed the cost of the event which was held at the forecourt of the Jubilee House in Accra.
Fact-Check
GhanaFact reviewed President Mahama’s address (text and video) during the Independence Day celebration.
In his speech, President Mahama only referenced the cost of celebrations in 2023 and 2024. He did not state an exact amount for the 2025 celebration.
However, he indicated that had the event been held at the Independence Square, it would have cost an estimated GH¢20 million. He added that, by holding it at the forecourt of the Jubilee House, the government saved 95% of that cost.
He specifically stated: “Fiscal prudence has become imperative for navigating the severe economic crisis that has recently confronted our country. The state spent GH¢15 million on last year’s celebration in Koforidua and GH¢ 13.7 million on the previous year’s celebration in Ho, in the Volta region.
“We received estimates of at least GH¢ 20 million for holding the event at Independence Square this year on the same scale as previous years.
“In a year when we call on all to sacrifice, including workers who have accepted a base pay adjustment far below the inflation rate, it is unconscionable to spend that much money on a few hours of celebration. Today’s event would save us 95% of the estimated cost of the event.” (watch from 2 mins: 47 secs to 3 mins: 46 secs).
Going by the president’s disclosure on the GH¢20 million estimate government received, the actual expenditure (5% of 20 million cedis) would come up to GH¢1 million, not GH¢1.5million.
An editor at GhanaWeb admitted in an interview that the president did not explicitly refer to the cost of the celebration and that they had misreported.
Verdict
Therefore, the claim is false.
