Ghana

Independence day holiday to be observed on March 8, 2021 - Minister declares

Tuesday, March 02, 2021 at 2:12 PM by Priscilla Aklorbortu

- This year's 6th March celebration falls on a weekend

- It is for this reason, the holiday has been shifted to Monday, May 8, 2021

- Ghanaians would observe the day as a statutory public holiday nationwide

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Government has declared March 8, 2021 as a public holiday.

The information was contained in a statement signed by the President’s representative at the Ministry of the Interior.

The said day was declared a public holiday in accordance with section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001 (Act 601)”.

“In addition to the public holiday, the President may, in the public interest, by executive instrument declare any other day to be a public holiday,” the Holidays Act states.

Every year, March 6 is set aside in the country as a holiday to mark Ghana’s independence.

Monday, March 8 2021 declared public holiday - Akufo-Addo
Source: UGC

This years' however, falls on a weekend. It is for this reason, the holiday has been shifted to Monday, May 8, 2021.

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The statement called on Ghanaians to observe the day as a statutory public holiday nationwide.

Meanwhile, the independence day celebrations in Ghana is mostly synonymous with well rehearsed and coordinated parades from various schools across the country.

This year's independence day celebration would not see that happening as the cases of the coronavirus disease is still surging.

In view of that, President Akufo-Addo has suspended the mounting of parades as part of activities to mark Ghana’s 64th Independence Day celebration.

In other news, he Education Minister-designate, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has backed the government’s decision to keep schools open.

According to him, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) are doing all they can to ensure students are protected from the virus.

“... they are doing a very good job in terms of getting ahead of the environment and with that, I will not say schools should be closed down,” he said.