Scrapping July 1 Holiday “Regrettable”- Mahama
Commemorating Ghana’s Republic on July 1 this year, former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to scrap the public holiday, saying it’s “most regrettable”.
The day was among the holidays that were affected by the amendment that was rendered in 2019 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“It is most regrettable that the current government has scrapped commemorating this important day as a public holiday,” he said in a Facebook post.
That notwithstanding, he urged the Ghanaians to reflect on the dedication, sacrifices and commitment of the country’s forebears, led by Dr Kwame Nkrumah as it marks the auspicious day.
“As we reflect on the significance of Republic Day, let us use this as a rallying call to rekindle the spirit of dedication and commitment that our forebears demonstrated. We must continue building a better, renewed Ghana, where opportunities are created for everyone to thrive.”
He is of the view that the day is an opportunity for Ghanaians to reaffirm their allegiance to the principles of unity, peace and progress for Ghana.
He continued, “Let us unite our efforts to ensure that the sacrifices of our predecessors were not in vain and that we continue to build a nation in which we can all take pride.”
Holidays Act Amendment
In April 2019, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo gave his assent to the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act 989) which rendered some changes in the country’s Statutory Public Holidays and Commemorative Days.
Among the Public Holidays are New Year’s Day, 1st January, Constitution Day, 7th January, Independence Day, 6th March, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Eil-Al-Adha (Hajj), Eid-Al-Fitr (Ramadan), and Workers’ Day, 1st May.
The rest are Founders’ Day, 4th August, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, 21st September, Farmers’ Day, 1st Friday in December, Christmas Day, 25th December and Boxing Day, 26th December.
Meanwhile, the African Union Day, 25th May, and Republic Day, 1st July were made commemorative days.
Last year, Mr Mahama who is the 2024 flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) announced plans to restore the Republic Day as a public holiday when given a second chance.
