The Minority Caucus of Parliament on Thursday, staged a walkout from the chamber in protest against the Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill.
The Minority walked out after some of them including the Minority Leader Hon Haruna Iddrisu as well as some Majority Members had made contribution to the motion moved by the Minister of Interior for the passage of the bill.
Hon Haruna Iddrisu said the passage of the bill will amount to disrespect to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah who played a lead role in the struggle for the country's independence, hence they cannot be part of it.
He cautioned that a future NDC government will amend the law .
The bill seeks to amend the Public Holidays Act 2001 ( Act 601) to provide for the 7th Day of January, the 4th day of August and 21st day of September, as additional statutory public holidays, and for the celebration of the 25th day of May and the 1st day of July as a commemorative .
Government, last year, laid a new bill before Parliament to amend the Public Holidays Act to include January 7 and August 4 as statutory public holidays.
The new bill which was laid by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, on Thursday, December 13 is seeking to make January 7 Constitution Day and August 4, Founders Day.
It is, however, proposing to scrap the AU holiday on May 25 as well as the Republic holiday on July 1.
If approved, the already existing Founder's Day holiday which is observed on September 21 will now be observed only as a Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day and would be a public holiday.
This means the AU and Republic days will also be observed only as commemorative days.
Background
In 2017, President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, proposed that August 4 should be observed as Founders Day in memory of the successive generations of Ghanaians who contributed to the liberation of the country from colonial rule and September 21 set aside as a memorial day for Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President who was instrumental in the fight for the 6th March independence.
Other public holidays
Ghanaians will continue to enjoy other public holidays, New Year's Day (January 1), Independence Day (March 6), Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Others are Eid-ul-Adha (Hajj period), Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramadan period), Workers' Day (May), Farmers' Day (Ffirst Day in December), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26).
The House, presided over by First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwai, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu, subsequently passed the bill in the absence of the Minority.
Source: Emmanuel Akorli/ Peace Fm/ Parliamentary Correspondent
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INTERESTING IN NKRUMAH’S GHANA, WHEN THE ALLEGED VOICE TAPE OF AMPOFO WAS AIRED OR LEAKED, NPP COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR ORGANISED A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ASKED NDC CHAIRMAN TO RESIGN. HOWEVER, LIVE VIDEOES OF PRESIDENTIAL STAFFERS WERE SEEN BUSILY COLLECTING MONEY TO FRAUDULENT GRANT PERMISSION TO GALAMSEYES TO GO AND DESTROY GHANA FOREST. THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TURNED INTO BRIBE AND KICK BACK COLLECTING CENTRE. ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESPERSON OF PRESIDENT/INFORMATION MINISTER THE VIDEOES HAS TO BE ANALYSED FOR THE PRESIDENT TO CLEAR THE FLAGSTAFF STAFFERS. NO WONDER THE FLAG STAFF HAS BEEN RENAMED ‘’JULOR BEEE’ JUBILEE HOUSE.
GHANAIANS SHOULD NOW WAKE UP. ANYTIME THIS NDC MINORITY STAGES A WALKOUT THEY SHOULD NOT BE PAID FOR THAT. SINCE THEY CAME TO OPPOSITION THEY HAVE WALK OUT MORE THAN 100 TIMES.
Hon. Osei Wusu I love your style, you don't have time for idi*ots, unpatriotic f00*00ls, primitive and ***barred word*** nons*ense, nation wreckers who think getting power is to kidnap, kill people and stage armed robbery to cause insecurity in the country,but not policies, not vision not what one can do for the country but to create l000*00t and share! ndc, ndc Onyame betua moka! mo Akristo som mpo ni na mo b3som abosom , even abosom are not wicked like the ndc! Anytime they walk out say bye to them and move on! they are of no use in parliament, ***barred word*** idi*ots! God has exposed them and they will rot in opposition! I heard they go to the mosque tomorrow and Sunday to church. God is not like their footsoldiers, their offerings will be rejected by the Lord and cause a curse on them. They want to copy the NPP but the hearts of the ndc are not of the Lord so God will never listen to them! Wicked people and agents of Satan ! The Battle is the Lord's!