Republic Day is coming back as a national holiday, President John Dramani Mahama has announced.
He also intends to introduce an additional public holiday for Eid al-Fitr.
Speaking during a thank-you tour in the Western Region on Wednesday, February 5, Mr Mahama said his government would amend the Public Holidays Act to restore July 1 as a national holiday, marking Ghana’s transition to self-governance.
The move follows a 2019 amendment by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, which removed Republic Day from the country’s list of public holidays.
Mr. Mahama also reaffirmed his commitment to the Muslim community by proposing an official holiday for Eid al-Fitr.
In addition, he outlined plans to introduce a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, which he suggested should be observed on July 1 to coincide with Senior Citizens’ Day.
He said the occasion would serve as a moment of reflection on Ghana’s progress and an opportunity to seek divine guidance.
“We will soon have an opportunity as a nation to pray and give thanks to the Almighty God,” he said. “I will soon announce a planning committee made up of religious leaders to oversee the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving.”
He added: “We will present an amendment to the Public Holidays Act to restore July 1 as a holiday. In the same amendment, we will also fulfil our promise to the Muslim community by introducing an extra holiday for Eid al-Fitr.”
Mr. Mahama thanked voters in the Western Region for their support and pledged to honour his campaign promises.
“We will deliver on our commitments, and I am hopeful that you will soon see tangible, life-changing development across the region,” he said.
