Parliament has finally passed the Holiday (Amendment) Bill, 2018 into law despite boycotts by the Minority.
The Holiday (Amendment) Bill, was passed by a simple majority vote at the Plenary as the Minority refused to participate in the Third Reading of the Bill.
The Holiday (Amendment) Bill, 2018, is to amend the Public Holidays Act, 2001 (Act 601), to provide for the 7th day of January, the 4th day of August and the 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 commemorative days.
The existing Founder’s Day holiday which is observed on the 21st day of September, will now be observed as a Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day and would continue to be a public holiday.
The 4th of August would also be observed as a public holiday in recognition and appreciation of the role the forebears played towards the founding of independent Ghana.
The 7th of January would likewise be observed as a public holiday in remembrance of the coming into force of the 1992 Constitution, which birthed the Fourth Republic, the longest in Ghana’s history.
The Minority’s reaction
The Minority in Parliament has registered their displeasure at the passage of the Holiday (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The Minority explained that the deliberate attempt by the government in amending the Holiday Act is to include some undeserving individuals in the history of the country.
Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza, from the Minority expressed his disappointment at the deliberate action of the current government to sideline Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in the history of Ghana.
Speaking to ghanajustice.com in an interview in Parliament, Mr. Agbodza pointed out that the Minority will never take part in the decision to rewrite the history of the country.
He averred that the President of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is using his power in aggrandising his family, and that the Minority will not spend time in endorsing such illegality.
Mr. Agbodza pointed out that the Majority sprang a surprise on the Minority, by presenting the Holiday (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to the House.
He indicated that previous Presidents of the country did not attempt to change the history of the country by including their relatives, and that the action of President Akufo-Addo is unacceptable.
Walkout by the Minority
The Minority in Parliament walked out of the Chamber for the third time when the Third Reading of the Holiday (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was taken.
Since, the presentation of the Bill by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Interior and Defence, the Minority has consistently boycotted proceedings, relating to the Bill.
The Minority has indicated that no member from its side will participate in the deliberation of the Bill.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
