Celebration of Founder’s Day
Annually Ghana celebrates its Founders’ Day on August 4, to commemorate the gallant men who struggled for the country’s independence.
Founders Day was formerly observed on September 21 each year to mark the birth date of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and in remembrance of the fight for independence by the “Big Six”.
Not only has the date changed, but also the name. The name has been changed from “Founder’s Day” to “Founders’ Day” which connotes plurality to include other members of the “Big Six” who took part in the struggle for Ghana’s independence.
Some members of the “ Big Six” who fought vehemently for the attainment of independence include; Edward Akuffo Addo , Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey, William Ofori Atta, and Ebenezer Ako Adjei .
In an effort to widen the scope to cover all persons who played a vital role in the liberation of the country, President Akuffo Addo proposed the separation of the Founders’ Day from the birth date of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
In March 2019, the public holiday was passed into law by Parliament and August 4 was instituted as the Founders’ Day.
The Founders’ Day is a day set aside on which Ghanaians reflect on the sacrifice by their founding fathers.
Beside the celebration, the day is reserved to encourage Ghanaians in appreciating the sacrificial role its leaders played and also revive the fighting spirit of the citizenry.