March 8 declared a holiday | Social

March 8, 2021 has been declared a holiday.

A statement signed by the President’s representative in the Interior Ministry stated that the day had been declared a holiday “in accordance with Article 2 of the 2001 Law on Holidays and Commemorations (Law 601)”.

March 6 is set aside every year in the country as a holiday to commemorate Ghana’s independence, but this year’s celebration falls on a weekend.

For this reason, the holiday has been moved to Monday.

“In addition to the public holiday, the President may, in the public interest, by means of an executive instrument declare any other day as a public holiday”, establishes the Law on public holidays.

The statement called on Ghanaians to observe the day as an official holiday throughout the country.

“In view of the fact that March 6, 2021 falls on a Saturday, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has done so by Executive Instrument (IE), in accordance with article 2 of the Law on Holidays and Commemorations of 2001 (Law 601) declared Monday, March 8, 2021 as a public holiday and it must be observed as such throughout the country ”.

The March 6 parade of schoolchildren from across the country is often a feature of Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations.

But the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, through the Ghana Education Service (GES) suspended the staging of parades as part of activities to mark the celebration of Ghana’s 64th Independence Day.

The directive is in line with presidential measures to avoid large gatherings as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

To this end, all directors of metropolitan, municipal and district education and the directors of all schools, through their regional directors of education, have been asked to comply with the directive.

“The Ghana Education Service management wishes to inform all regions that the 64th Independence Anniversary Parade on March 6, 2021 was immediately suspended across the country,” GES noted.