The Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 986) lists the statutory public holidays and commemorative days. According to the law, dates that tell of the history of the nation are; Constitution Day, January 7; Independence Day, March 6; Founders’ Day, August 4; Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, September 21 and Republic Day, July 1.
Until April 16, 2019, when President Akufo-Addo assented to the law that amended the public holidays, Ghana marked ‘Founder’s Day’ on September 21 each year, which also doubled as a celebration of Dr. Nkrumah’s birthday. The day is now Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
The Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 986) has renamed Founder’s Day as Founders’ Day, and the date has been changed to August 4 to commemorate the date the United Gold Coast Convention was founded.
On August 4, 2019 President Akufo-Addo, in wishing the citizens a happy Founders’ Day, said: “We acknowledge the role played by successive generations of Ghanaians towards the liberation of our country from colonialism and imperialism.
It is time we rose above partisan considerations, set the record straight, recognise the collective efforts in gaining our freedom and independence from colonial rule, and do right by our history.”
On the same date last year, he wrote: “The importance of this day cannot be overemphasised, as two of the most significant events in our national history, which led to the attainment of national independence, which occurred on this day, hence, its designation as Founders’ Day.
“I refer here to the formation of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society, whose members protected our lands from the grasp of the greedy colonialists, and the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention, which first sounded the clarion call for freedom from colonial bondage.
August 4th is the date that shaped and determined the course of our collective history, setting the stage for an organised front for Ghana’s independence struggle.”
The controversy and criticism that surrounded the decision of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rewrite, if not correct, history needs no emphasis.
The latest to join the debate is former President John Dramani Mahama, who says, “1st July is and shall remain Ghana’s Republic Day. It is our history! And it shall remain our history.”
He made a Facebook post on Saturday, July 1, about three years since the passage of the law that amended the previous law.
Many have viewed his statement as an indication of his intent to reverse the decision of the Akufo-Addo government should he be elected President.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not take the move to amend the historic dates lightly.
In a statement marking Republic Day in 2019, the NDC said the NPP government’s move had degraded the significance of the day.
The Chronicle is not happy with the turn of events. It is our hope that such dates are not toyed with on the altar of political biases to the detriment of the sacrifices made by our forefathers.
It is our hope that a broader national conversation is held, devoid of political emotions, to achieve consensus on the way forward. We also suggest that Parliament could also be tasked to legislate our public holidays in such a manner that bars governments from easily amending them.
We are saying this because such dates are important in the annals of the nation’s history and guide us on how to celebrate our history and culture.
The dates help us to remember the sacrifices made by our forefathers and to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy today. They also allow us to reflect on the challenges we face as a nation and renew our commitment to working towards a better future.
Overall, the historic national dates are an important part of our national identity and should be celebrated with pride and enthusiasm, but citizens cannot keep those dates sacred if they are easily changed to suit the history of a particular party, with others opposing.
We insist that the true historic national dates must be legislated upon and embedded with provisions that prevent further change.
