The People’s National Convention (PNC) has petitioned parliament over government’s decision to amend the country’s Public Holiday Act to make January 7 Constitution Day and August 4 a Republic Day, stating it has the tendency to divide the people unjustifiably.

The party is of the view the move is a conscious “attempt to appease their political tradition without recourse to the ramifications on the unity and cohesion of this country”.

The government, through the interior minister, Ambrose Dery, on Thursday, December 13, 2018, laid the new bill before parliament but before it could be passed, government on December 31, 2018, declared January 7 a public holiday day.

In a petition dated January 7 and signed by the National Chairman of the party, Bernard Mornah, the party took a strong exception to the move.

“We in the PNC like many other Ghanaians are convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that but for political glorification and expediency, there are far more pressing issues to engage the attention of the government rather than attempting to amend the Public Holidays Act,” it said.

The PNC has thus called on parliament to intervene and exercise the ‘highest level of unbiased discretionary power’ to stop any attempts by any group of persons to rewrite the history of Ghana.

Among other things, it is calling on the House to consider:

21st September should continue to be observed and celebrated as Founder’s Day under the Public Holidays Act of the Republic of Ghana as opposed to the proposed amendments before Parliament for consideration.

Parliament should pass the requisite bill making 21st September a Public Holiday instead of the Executive Instrument usually issued to that effect.

The AU Day as a very important landmark in the history of African Unity and Liberation should continue to be observed as such as opposed to the proposed amendments before the House of Parliament.

It is important to place on record that there is ONE REPUBLIC OF GHANA which was established on July 1, 1960. It is therefore incorrect to suggest that there are second, third and fourth Republics in the bill. In fact, we have had changes in the Republican dispensations or constitutions but NOT Republics. In fact, July 1, is now jointly celebrated as SENIOR CITIZENS DAY