President Mahama commits to redeem Muslims holiday pledge
President John Dramani Mahama, has reiterated his pledge to add another holiday for Muslims during Eid-Fitr to address the issue of the 29 or 30-day rule for sighting the moon, beginning this year.
He said the move was aimed at ensuring that all Muslim citizens could enjoy the public holiday without conflict with their places of work.
He emphasised that the additional holiday would not affect productivity, as his government would modify the Public Holidays Act to maintain the same number of public holidays per year.
He said this was part of his efforts to promote Islamic values and recognise the contributions of Muslim communities in the country.
President Mahama was addressing a gathering of Muslims at the National Muslim Prayer and Thanksgiving Service at the National Mosque at Kanda in Accra yesterday.
It was his second public appearance since coming into office as President on January 7.
He was accompanied by the national executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) including the National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and the General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, Members of Parliament (MP), including Collins Dauda, Haruna Iddrisu, Alhassan Suhuyini, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka and other leading members of the party.
Other prominent personalities present were the National Chief Imam, Usmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, a retired banker and traditional ruler, Naa Alhassan Andani and the NDC’s first General Secretary, Hudu Yahaya.
Gratitude
President Mahama expressed gratitude to Allah for protecting him and his campaign team against misfortunes during the campaign season.
“By the time we arrived at the rally at Madina, we had done 30,000 kilometres and not a single accident.
“I am here to say thank you, first and foremost to my father the Chief Imam for the prayers. We asked him for prayers so that Allah would grant our heart desires so if Allah has listened to our supplication and granted our heart desire, it is only proper to thank Allah,” he said.
President Mahama acknowledged the NDC’s victory in most Muslim communities, stressing that this win came with the recognition that all citizens, regardless of their background, were equal citizens of the nation.
“I want to thank all Muslims in Ghana. Our presence here today is not just a formality, it is the declaration of our deep understanding that everything we have as a people or as a nation comes from Allah,” he said.
Initiatives
The President also announced other initiatives, including the establishment of a new Hajj committee to facilitate smoother pilgrimages to Mecca.
He declared that hijabs could be worn freely in public, promoting religious tolerance and acceptance.
The President also announced that scholarships would be awarded to Muslim students to pursue studies in medicine, law and ICT to empower them to contribute to the nation's development.
President Mahama emphasised the importance of leaders serving the people's interests and promoting tolerance, dialogue and love among citizens.
He urged the youth to be tolerant and use dialogue rather than resorting to hate speech and violence.
Election-related violence
On election-related violence the President took a firm stance on the issue instructing his executive secretary to request a comprehensive report on the status of investigations into the killings that occurred during the 2020 and 2024 elections.
"I have asked my executive secretary to write to the Inspector General of Police to give us a report on the status of investigations into these killings," President Mahama said.
President Mahama's tone was sombre as he addressed the violence that marred the elections, resulting in the loss of five lives last year and eight in 2020.
He condemned the happening as senseless violence and said if justice was not served, it would have far-reaching consequences.
Gratitude
Mr Nketiah, for his part, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Muslim community and the Chief Imam for their support and commitment to peaceful elections.
He said the Muslim community demonstrated that leaders should be chosen based on integrity and capacity, rather than religious affiliations.
He noted that attempts to create a narrative that Muslims should only vote for Muslim candidates failed and instead, Ghanaians voted for a President who would promote equality and unity.
Mr Nketiah, specifically thanked the Muslim community for ensuring peace during the election, acknowledging the prayers offered in the Zongo and expressing his conviction that Allah heard their prayers and chose President Mahama to lead the nation.