Ist July will be a holiday again when I am elected - John Mahama

The flagbearer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the December general elections, John Dramani Mahama has promised to reset July 1 as a national holiday in Ghana if he regains the presidency.

Ghana became a republic on July 1, 1960 and have been an annual commemoration until the Akufo-Addo government replaced it with August 4, a statutory holiday commemorating Ghana's founders instead.

On day two of his trip in the Upper East Region, Mr Mahama criticized President Akufo-Addo's decision to move the holiday from July 1 to August 4 and announced that he would reset it to July 1 if he wins the elections.

According to him, the current administration is attempting to "rewrite history" by replacing Republic Day  with Founders' Day, which he vehemently opposes.

"Apart from destroying the economy, one of the things this government wants to do is to rewrite our history, and we shall not allow them to rewrite our history because the president said he does not accept that one person can be the founder of our nation.”

"Nobody can come and rewrite our history. Indeed, for those of you who don’t know it, when the Queen finally agreed to give Ghana independence, the UGCC that Nana Akufo-Addo is fighting to be recognised as founders of Ghana wrote a petition. They sent people to England to tell the queen not to grant independence because we are not ready yet.”

This statement comes after President Akufo-Addo rekindled a debate on August 3 by saying in a national broadcast that he opposes the idea that Ghana was created by a single person. Mahama declared that a future NDC government will reinstate July 1 as a holiday to commemorate Ghana's republic.

"When we come to office, we will rectify those things. July 1 will be a holiday again,” he said.

Source : Lead News Online