The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, led the delegation of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership that attended the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving held in Accra on Tuesday July 1, 2025.
Afenyo-Markin did the third scripture reading for the national ceremony which saw Ghanaians both home and abroad unite in prayer and gratitude to God.
The National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving in an initiative of President John Mahama and this year’s is the debut. The President explained that the aim is to unite Ghanaians of all faiths and express gratitude to God for the nation’s abundant blessings.
The event was held under the theme “Reset, Reflect and Renew for National Prosperity” and started in the morning with a mega interdenominational Christian Service at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra.
In the afternoon, there was a Muslim Service at the Ghana National Mosque at Kanda, also in Accra.
Both Christian and Muslim prayer services were held across all the 16 Regions of the country and some of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies simultaneously.
It was a strictly non-partisan event to give it the required feel of national unity.
Ghana’s only two former presidents still alive – Nana Akufo-Addo and John Agyekum Kufuor- have both endorsed the initiative and applauded President Mahama for it.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, “All of us have to support this initiative. It is clearly a worthwhile initiative, that we have this one day where all of us come together to give thanks to the almighty for the many, many blessings he has bestowed upon us.”
Former President Kufuor on his part said the idea was long overdue and the decision that it should be marked on July 1 was a brilliant one.
He explained that July 1, Ghana’s Republic Day, marked a pivotal moment in the country’s history and it was the day the Ghana appointed its first president and formally became a Republic.
Former President Kufuor added that it was a day of great national significance and should not be overlooked.
Though the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving is a brain child of President Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the NPP, issued an official statement that called on all its members to give the event their full support, participation and cooperation but without wearing any partisan symbol or colours.
