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Hey there, middle schoolers! Guess what? The Ministry of the Interior in Ghana has declared a special day called Founders Day. It’s going to be a public holiday on Friday, August 4, 2023. This day is all about remembering and honoring the people who helped Ghana become free from colonial rule. Let’s learn more about it!
Founders Day is a really important day in Ghana because it celebrates the contributions of many generations of Ghanaians who fought for their country’s freedom. Back in the old days, Ghana was ruled by other countries, but brave Ghanaians worked together to make Ghana independent. Founders Day is a way to remember and appreciate their hard work.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had a great idea to make Founders Day a public holiday. He wanted to make sure that Ghanaians never forget the sacrifices made by their ancestors. So, in 2018, he proposed some changes to the Public Holiday Act, and Founders Day became an official holiday.
The Public Holidays Amendment Bill, presented by Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, made some changes to the holidays in Ghana. Three holidays were canceled, and two new holidays were introduced. Founders Day was set on August 4, and September 21 became a memorial day for Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
The three holidays that were canceled were the Republic Holiday, which used to be on July 1, the African Union (AU) Holiday, which was observed on May 25, and the original Founders Day, which fell on Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday, September 21.
Why August 4?
August 4 was chosen to replace Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day because it has a special meaning. It was on this day in 1947 that Ghana’s independence movement started. Some amazing Ghanaians, like George Alfred Grant, J.B. Danquah, R.A. Awoonor-Williams, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, and various chiefs, came together and formed the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). They all had the same goal: to make Ghana independent.
Even though Founders Day is now an official public holiday, there are some people who don’t agree with it. Two political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), have said that they might get rid of the holiday if they come into power. It’s always interesting to see different opinions!
