Exactly a week from today would be Tuesday July 1, 2025 and all things being equal, would be observed as a statutory public holiday in Ghana, in fulfilment of a pledge by President John Mahama.
July 1, has over the years been observed as Republic Day in Ghana and a national holiday until 2019 when the then President Nana Akufo-Addo gave his assent to the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019 and scrapped it off the holiday list.
The new President, John Mahama, has however been explaining why July 1 should be reinstated as a national public holiday and marked as National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, starting this year and next week to be precise.
READ ALSO: GoldBod Already Doing Wonders – Mahama praises CEO Sammy Gyamfi
“We will have an opportunity as a nation soon to pray and give thanks to the almighty God as enjoined by the holy book that says in all things Give thanks to the Almighty God. We will thank God for his blessing on our nation Ghana and I will soon announce a planning committee made up of religious leaders to plan the national day of prayer and thanksgiving.
“I proposed that this national day of prayer and thanksgiving should be held on the first of July which is also our Republic Day and also marks Senior Citizen’s Day. Nananom, my brothers and sisters, we will soon present to parliament an amendment to the Public Holiday Act so that we can restore July 1 as a holiday”, the President noted during a recent tour of the Western Region.
President Mahama has expressed similar sentiments last month during a visit to the Perez Chapel: “And as I’ve declared, on 1st July, which is our Republic Day—our Republic Day is actually Ghana’s birthday because in 1957, even though we became independent, we were a dominion of the British Empire,” he said. “It was on 1st July that we became a republic and cut ties with the British Empire. So on that day that the true Ghana was born, I’ve said we must give thanks to the Almighty God. And so we’re restoring the holiday to that day.”
Earlier in April, President Mahama, announced that he has set aside Republic Day, the 1st of July of every year, as Ghana’s official National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving.
He explained that motive was to unite Ghanaians of all faiths and express gratitude to God for the nation’s abundant blessings. The President declared that when he inaugurated a committee to plan the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving. The Committee is Chaired by former Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, with Prophet Dr Akwasi Agyemang Prempeh as the Coordinator.
The Committee members are drawn from the various Christian and Islamic denominations and councils.
READ ALSO: November 8 not public holiday
In his remarks, the President said, “Today I address you not only as your President but as a fellow Ghanaian, grateful to the Almighty God for his continued mercy upon our land and our people.”
“We’ve gathered here today as a nation united by faith, hope, and a shared destiny to inaugurate a sacred initiative that reflects the soul of our nation.
“In an era marked by division, disaster, and despair, Ghana remains, by the grace of God, an oasis of peace, stability, and spiritual unity. This peace is not accidental; it is the result of committed leadership, communal resilience, and, above all, the steadfast prayers and supplications of a faithful nation.”
The President, who interwove his speech with quotations from both the Bible and the Quran, said: “Let this be a legacy, a sacred pause in our national calendar that generations to come will celebrate. A day when Ghana does not cry out in fear but rejoices in faith. May God bless the work of the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Committee.”
