Founders' Day: President Akufo-Addo calls on citizens to uphold Ghana's founding vision

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the people of Ghana to honour the aspirations of the nation's founding leaders and work towards achieving the country's true potential. 

In an address delivered to mark this year's Founders' Day on Facebook, the President emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law, respecting individual liberties and human rights, and embracing democratic accountability - the very principles for which Ghana's forebears fought. He said the challenge before contemporary Ghanaians is to build a modern economy that fosters prosperity and progress, creating a dignified life for all citizens. 

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Founders' Day, observed on August 4, commemorates the contributions of successive generations in liberating Ghana from colonialism and imperialism, leading to the founding of the nation-state.

President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the significance of the day, noting that Ghana, after 66 years of independence, has become a beacon of democracy and stability in Africa. 

“Today, sixty-six (66) years after independence, our nation is considered a beacon of democracy and stability in Africa. August 4, in the life and history of our nation, is one of utmost importance. It is, indeed, a sacred day,” the President said in an address delivered to mark this year’s Founders’ Day. 

He paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the forebears, dating back 126 years when the Aborigines Rights Protection Society was formed in Cape Coast to resist the Crown Lands Bill of 1897. This courageous act prevented the sequestration and expropriation of Ghanaian lands for the benefit of the British Crown, safeguarding the people's ownership of their lands throughout the colonial period.

“The ownership of our lands was never an issue again during the rest of the colonial period. We should not, then, forget that we continued to possess our lands freely, unlike the situation in Eastern and Southern Africa, because of the bravery and foresight of the members of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society, and we must continually pay homage to these patriots,” the President said. 

The President also highlighted the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) exactly fifty years later, the first political party in the country to demand independence. 

The UGCC's demand for freedom paved the way for subsequent events and the eventual independence of Ghana in 1957. The leaders of the UGCC, known as the "Big Six," including Kwame Nkrumah, played pivotal roles in Ghana's journey to independence.

As Ghana continues to evolve and progress, President Akufo-Addo called on citizens to remember the bravery and foresight of their forebears, paying homage to those who fought for the nation's freedom. 

About Founders' Day

Founders' Day holds historical importance in Ghana as it marks the contributions of successive generations of Ghanaians who played pivotal roles in liberating the country from colonial rule. 

The decision to designate the day as a public holiday was part of a broader initiative by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who proposed amendments to the Public Holiday Act in 2018.

The Public Holidays Amendment Bill, 2018, which was presented by Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, led to the cancellation of three existing public holidays and introduced two new holidays. As a result, Founders' Day was designated on August 4, while September 21 was set aside as a memorial day for Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in recognition of his significant role in the fight for Ghana's independence on March 6.

The three holidays affected by this amendment were the Republic Holiday, previously observed on July 1, the African Union (AU) Holiday, observed on May 25, and the original Founders' Day, which fell on Kwame Nkrumah's birthday, September 21.

According to the bill's explanation, August 4 was chosen to replace Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day because it holds historical significance as the day when Ghana's independence movement began in 1947. On this date, Ghanaian patriots such as George Alfred Grant, J.B. Danquah, R.A. Awoonor-Williams, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, and various chiefs formed the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The UGCC was founded on the principles of the Fante Confederacy of 1868 and the Aboriginal Rights Protection Society of 1897, with a shared mission of achieving Ghana's independence.

While Founders' Day has been established as an official public holiday, two opposition political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People's Party (CPP), have indicated that they might consider scrapping the holiday if they come into power.