Return to Republic Day as Holiday – SJMG | Policy

The Social Justice Movement Ghana (SJMG), a group of socialists, called on the government to re-establish Ghana's Republic Day as a holiday to give real meaning to the country's freedom.

"The SJMG notes with deep regret and disappointment His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in accordance with the Act of 2019 on Amendments to the Public Holidays Act, 16 April 2019, and the consequent consequences for the feast of the Republic which is no longer a public day. vacation.

"We strongly condemn the decision to reduce the status of the Republic Day celebration in Ghana and ask that it be reinstated and given even more importance than the Independence Day celebrations."

These were contained in a statement signed with a copy to the Ghana News Agency by Aidan Adongo and Nyeya Yen, interim leaders of the movement.

On 1 July 1960, Ghana became a republic, which meant that the country had officially broken ties with colonial masters and was totally independent to run its own affairs.

Until this year, July 1 has always been considered a holiday across the country.

"By reducing the scale of Republic Day this year, the government confirms that we are neither independent nor masters of our own destiny," the statement said. He asks that July 1st be reinstated and that his place be more important than the Independence Day celebration.

He said that "the SJMG has argued in 2017 that the status of the Republic Day should be raised beyond the simple respect of the elderly. Our opinion was temporarily reinforced when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo said at the 2017 G20 summit in Germany that very little has changed in Ghana's economy for almost a century.

"Ghana still operates what it called the Guggisberg economy – we depend mainly on the export of primary products – cocoa, timber, minerals and now oil and gas – for our export earnings."

Then, on March 11, 1964, the country's first president, Mr. Kwame Nkrumah, formulated a seven-year development plan that, once completed, would have allowed Ghana to prosper through a highly organized and efficient agricultural and industrial program. . less than two years old, he was overthrown and "inaugurated the declining and dominant nightmare of Ghana".

The statement calls on progressive groups to go beyond their differences and come together under one umbrella to offer an alternative to the dominance of the political process by the new patriotic party and the National Democratic Congress.

"The SJMG has reaffirmed its commitment and determination to organize youth, women and other marginalized people so that they lead the process of building a peaceful and prosperous Ghana, a country in which work and happiness will be at the rendezvous.

"The SJMG remains convinced that it is only under a socialist Ghana that there will be prosperity for all Ghanaians," he said.

According to the press release, the SJMG was created in 2017 with the aim of building a society of generational thinkers, a workforce that is economically capable of mobilizing the potential of young people working alongside older people in a transparent and accountable environment.