The Ministry of the Interior in Ghana has officially announced that Friday, August 4, 2023, will be recognized as a Statutory Public Holiday known as Founders’ Day. This day will be observed nationwide as a day of significance and remembrance.
Founders’ Day holds historical importance in Ghana as it commemorates the contributions made by successive generations of Ghanaians who played crucial roles in the country’s liberation from colonial rule.
Also Read: We’ve not legalised marijuana use – Bagbin makes it clear
This decision to declare Founders’ Day a public holiday was part of a broader initiative introduced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018. The initiative involved proposing amendments to the Public Holiday Act, which led to the cancellation of three existing public holidays and the introduction of two new ones. Founders’ Day was then designated on August 4, while September 21 was set aside as a memorial day for Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in recognition of his significant role in Ghana’s independence on March 6.
The amendment affected three holidays: the Republic Holiday, previously observed on July 1; the African Union (AU) Holiday, observed on May 25; and the original Founders’ Day, which coincided with Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday on September 21.
Also Read: You can’t call anyone witch in Ghana, it’s an offence – Parliament
The choice of August 4 to replace Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day was explained in the bill. It holds historical significance as the day when Ghana’s independence movement began in 1947. On this date, Ghanaian patriots, including George Alfred Grant, J.B. Danquah, R.A. Awoonor-Williams, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, and various chiefs, formed the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The UGCC was founded on the principles of the Fante Confederacy of 1868 and the Aboriginal Rights Protection Society of 1897, with a shared mission of achieving Ghana’s independence.
Despite Founders’ Day being officially established as a public holiday, two opposition political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), have indicated that they might consider abolishing the holiday if they come into power.
