As part of the nationwide celebrations of Ghana’s 50th Anniversary in attaining its independent, the Ghana@50 secretariat organized a gospel show last week in Ho.

Lovers of gospel music thronged the Ho Sports Stadium to take a glimpse of their gospel idols and danced throughout the five-hour programme.

The special thanksgiving gospel music and awards night was for a successful climax of the Ghana @50 celebration and was organised by Gospel Network International and Park Dellis Gift Shop all of Ho.

At least, 10 gospel artists and groups participated at the festival and sang songs in commemoration of Ghana @ 50, their own composition and that of other popular gospel artists.

They were Dela Agutor and Samuel Carfix, Royal Jubilant of Jubilee Church, Ho, Kwaku Gyasi, Grace Ashy and Soul Winners of Winners Church, Ho.

The rest were John Star group, Echoes of Calvary of Ho Polytechnic, Eddie Mills, Vine Praise and Israel Mawueta.

As a side attraction, 20 individuals and organisations were honoured for their dedication and meritorious service in the promotion of health, education, sports, music, church evangelism, church growth and development, self dedication, youth motivation, Christian counselling, influence, organisation and excellence.

They include Right Reverend Francis Lodonu, Catholic Bishop of Ho Diocese, for the promotion of education, self dedication and youth motivation, Right Reverend (Dr) Livingstone Buama, Moderator of Evangelical Presbyterian Church, for the promotion of education, the late Dr. Ephraim Amu and the late Philip Gbeho for music, Right Reverend (Dr) Emmanuel Gbordzoe, Moderator of Global Evangelical Church for church growth and development and Miracle Life Clinic for health and Christian counselling. They were presented with a citation, certificate and prizes.

When it came to the turn of Kweku Gyasi, Grace Ashy and Isreal Mawueta, they kept and held the audience and the dignitaries spell bound. Other individuals and groups such as Dela and Samuel, Eddie Mills and Echoes of Calvary never bored the audience and the dignitaries who were impressed with the performance of the artists since most of them were performing for the first time in the Volta Region.

In her welcome address, Ms. Dela Agutor, an executive member, Gospel Network International, said there is the need for the people of the region and the nation at large to give thanks and praises to the good Lord for this mercies and goodwill which had brought about peace, unity, tranquility and harmony.

She paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of the nation and hoped that their vision and creativity would inspire the youth of Ghana to take up the mantle of visionary leadership to move the nation forward and secure its future.

Togbe Afele II, Divisional Chief of Asogli Traditional Area who chaired the function, lauded the efforts of the organisers of the function and urged Ghanaians to use the year long anniversary celebrations not only for merry making but for sober reflection to secure the future of the nation through accelerated growth and development.

He asked the people of the region not to be complacent and relent on their efforts of eradicating poverty but work hard to enhance living standards to make the vision of the founding fathers a reality towards the next 50 years.