Ghana announces Constution Day as a new public holiday

The Ghanaian Interior Ministry has declared 7th January as Constitution Day

A statement signed by Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior, has declared 7 January 2019 a Public Holiday as ‘Constitution Day’.

This day has been declared as an additional holiday under Section 2 of the Public Holiday Act, 2001 (Act 601).

The statement from the Interior Ministry said it was worth setting aside 7th January as Constitution Day to acknowledge the collective efforts as a country in ensuring that the tenets of democracy, the rule of law and the principles of constitutionalism are upheld.

A bill is currently before Parliament to remove African Unity and Republic Days as public holidays, replacing them with Constitution Day, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day and Founders Day.

Under the proposals, Constitution and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial and Founders’ Days will be celebrated on 7th January, 21st September and 4th August respectively.

In relation to announcing Constitution day before the bill has passed, the Speaker of Parliament Mike Oquaye told Graphic Online that the “Government can always declare a holiday. We don’t need an act. Pending the formalisation of the process, it can in the interim declare any day as a holiday. The Minster of Interior can even declare tomorrow a holiday.”