Mahama proposes July 1 as National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving

President John Dramani Mahama, has proposed that a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving should be held on July 1, which is also Ghana’s Republic Day, and marks Senior Citizens Day.

He said the Government would soon present to Parliament amendments to the Public Holidays Act in order that they could restore July 1 as a holiday. “In the amendment of the Public Holidays Act, we shall also make provision to fulfill our promise to the Muslim community of an extra holiday to mark the Muslim Festival of Eid al-Fitr,” President Mahama stated in his remarks during his “Thank You Tour”, at a grand durbar of the Chiefs and People of the Western Region in Sekondi.

He said he would soon announce a Planning Committee made up of religious leaders to plan the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving. The nationwide tour, which began on Friday, January 24, in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital, is to enable the President to express his sincere appreciation to Ghanaians for the overwhelming support and trust reposed in him in the 2024 elections.

President Mahama gave thanks to the Almighty God for protecting and preserving the lives of all Ghanaians, saying, “It is a great joy for me to stand here before you in the heart of the Western region, a land of immense promise, rich history and extraordinary potential. “I am here with a deep sense of humility and gratitude to say a sincere thank you for the overwhelming support you showed me during the last election.”

He said the Government’s vision for resetting and renewing the country, was what had brought Ghanaians that far, and that he does not take it for granted at all. Touching on chieftaincy, President Mahama said the nation’s chieftaincy institution remained the backbone of its governance and community leadership.

“Our chiefs have been custodians of peace, our culture and development, and in the most challenging times you have stood firm in safeguarding the integrity of our society. “And that is why I am calling you once again to be active participants in the constitutional review process which we have started and I hope that when the conference takes place, Nananom will participate fully.”

The President said, he believes that Ghana’s governance structures must reflect the nation’s rich traditions, and its chiefs must have a more defined and meaningful role in national development. He said that was why the constitutional review process would seek to ensure that traditional authorities were not just symbolic figures but were key partners in decision-making at all levels of government.

Nana Kobina Nketiah V, the Omanhene of the Essikado Traditional Area and Acting President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, welcomed the establishment of Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) by President Mahama. “The idea of oral is so laudable in Africa. Oral should be a guiding spirit in our public service existence. Our current Constitution speaks loudly of probity, accountability, and transparency. And that is why we are pleased with oral. Any critique of such a body is only to enhance it and make it worthy of the acronym.” Nana Nketiah stated.

He appealed to President Mahama to ensure that the Western region got its fair share of the national cake.  He also cautioned President Mahama to mindful of praise singers.

Source: GNA