Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared his support for the of July 1 as National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, emphasizing the significance of national unity and stability.
He made this statement when the planning committee for the event paid him a courtesy visit at his residence on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
Commending President John Mahama for spearheading the initiative and bringing it to fruition, Akufo-Addo described it as a meaningful effort to foster national cohesion.
However, he revealed that he will be unable to attend the thanksgiving service, as he is scheduled to travel abroad for a month-long medical checkup.
Lauding the initiative, he stated: “The country has never broken apart, and we have never ended up fighting each other because of politics or power, and that is a blessing for us. We are now in the Fourth Republic, which has given us four occasions to change government peacefully.
“You saw what happened in December last year, it shows that peaceful transfers of power are now part of our national culture. We have much to be thankful for, and I commend the president for taking up this initiative and making it real.
“Unfortunately, before I received this letter, I had already arranged to travel abroad for an extensive medical review. So, I will be leaving next week and will be away for a month, meaning I won’t be present.”
Chairman of the planning committee, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, acknowledged Akufo-Addo’s support and revealed that Cardinal Appiah Turkson will be present to deliver the keynote message on July 1, 2025.
Emphasizing unity, Ankrah stated that the event will be devoid of party colours, with attendees encouraged to wear white, the selected colour for the occasion.
“How do we renew our hope and commitment to the country so that we can collectively work towards the Ghana we desire? Cardinal Turkson has agreed to fly in from Rome to deliver the message.
“Then, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm, we will gather at the national mosque, where the Chief Imam, along with other Imams, will lead the Muslim service. This will be replicated across all 16 regions. On this day, we will focus solely on Ghana. We have sent out a strong communique emphasizing that there will be no party colours, only white as a symbol of national unity.”
The National Day of Thanksgiving is set to become an annual event, uniting Christians and Muslims across all 16 regions in a collective celebration of faith and gratitude.
By Beatrice Sowah
