Nii Lante calls for restoration of 1st July Republic Holiday

The Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, wants the Republic Day Holiday which falls on July 1 to be restored.

The day which used to be a public holiday is now commemorative following President Akufo-Addo assenting to the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019.

Speaking to this, during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Nii Lante said, "if parliament was doing their work well without political influence, this (the amendment) would not have passed. The significance of July 1st cannot be lost on us. The politics in Parliament is sometimes too much. We can do something about it and restore 1st July as a statutory holiday."

Background

The Republic Day of July 1st is no longer a public holiday following President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's assent to the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019.

A statement signed and issued by the Minister of Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery on Wednesday, May 8 announced that President Akufo-Addo assented to the new Act on April 16, 2019.

"The President of Republic of Ghana, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assented to the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act 986) on 16th April 2019," it said.

It added: "The Public Holidays (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act 986) states, Statutory Public Holidays and Commemorative days."