President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to introduce a second holiday for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, fulfilling a campaign promise to enhance recognition of Islamic festivities in Ghana. The announcement was made during a National Muslim Prayer and Thanksgiving event held at the National Mosque in Kanda in Accra on Friday, January 10, where he emphasised his commitment to honouring the cultural and religious diversity of the country.
“As part of our promises, we assured the Muslim community of adding one more holiday to the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Once Parliament resumes, we will amend the Holidays Act to officially recognise an additional day for the Sallah festivities,” Mr Mahama said.
This initiative means that after the conclusion of Ramadan, Ghanaians will have two public holidays to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Mr Mahama assured that the necessary legislative processes would be expedited to ensure the change is implemented this year.
President Mahama also reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to making the Hajj pilgrimage more affordable for Muslims revealing the formation of a five-member Hajj task force, led by Asutifi South MP, Collins Dauda. According to him, the task force will travel to Saudi Arabia next week to participate in the annual Hajj conference.
“One of their primary responsibilities is to negotiate arrangements that will drastically reduce Hajj fares. This will enable more Muslims who wish to perform the pilgrimage to fulfil this religious obligation,” he stated.
By: Emma Ankrah
