Akufo-Addo has devalued significance of AU Day – Kwesi Pratt

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr says the Akufo-Addo administration has devalued the significance of the African Union (AU) Day by reducing it to a mere commemorative day.
President Akufo-Addo on 16th April 2019 approved the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act).
In December 2018, a bill was laid before parliament to amend the Public Holiday Act 2001 to provide for three different holidays.
Under the new Holiday Act, 7th of January will be observed as the Constitution Day, the 4th of August will be observed as the Founders Day and 21st of September will be observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
In 2017, President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, proposed that August 4 should be observed as Founders Day in memory persons who contributed to the liberation of the country from colonial rule and September 21 set aside as a memorial day for Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President who was instrumental in the fight for the 6th March independence.
New Year’s Day- 1st January, Constitution Day- 7th January, Independence Day- 6th March, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Eid-Al-Adha (Hajj), Eid-Al-Fitr (Ramadan), Workers’ Day- 1st May, Founders’ Day -4th August, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day- 21st September, Farmers, Day- 1st Friday in December, Christmas Day- 25th December, Boxing Day- 26th December days will be observed as Statutory Public Holidays.
African Union Day- 25th May and Republic Day- 1st July are commemorative days which would only be observed but not as holidays.
But speaking to Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, the Insight Newspaper Editor said that a holiday is the highest level of observation and hence reducing the AU Day to a mere commemorative day amounts to devaluation.
He added that the Republic Day, 1st July, has also been deliberately devalued by the Akufo Addo led administration.
 
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa