President John Dramani Mahama has expressed gratitude to Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson for agreeing to deliver the sermon at Ghana’s first-ever National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving Service, scheduled for July 1.
The inaugural event, set to take place at the forecourt of Jubilee House at 8:00am, will also include a Muslim prayer session at 12:30pm. Cardinal Turkson, who arrived in Accra, remarked that “if the President of your country calls, you can’t say no.” He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the church and government, saying both must “provide support and guidance in towards our development and democracy.”
The Cardinal highlighted the potential of using church infrastructure to foster sustainability, mentioning that the Catholic Church has launched a pilot project in Nigeria with plans to extend it to other regions globally.
President Mahama, who formally announced the establishment of the Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving on April 25, noted that July 1, historically marked as Republic Day, would henceforth serve a dual purpose.
At the inauguration of the planning committee, he reflected on Ghana’s enduring peace and unity as a divine gift, saying the country’s religious harmony must be protected and valued.
“One of Ghana’s greatest blessings is the harmony with which we practice our diverse faiths. Christians, Muslims and traditionalists, we worship differently but we work together as one people. This is a national treasure that we must never take for granted,” he said.
He continued, “This is the spirit with which we must move forward, and so with conviction, reverence and unity of purpose, I hereby declare the Republic Day 1st of July of every year also as Ghana’s official National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving.”
Committee member Elvis Afriyie Ankrah underscored the significance of the day as one of spiritual reflection and national togetherness. “We assure you, Mr President and the good people of Ghana that we will discharge our duties with diligence and dedication. We understand the weight of the responsibility entrusted to us,” he said.
“It is our hope and prayer that the work we do will not only make Ghana proud but will serve as inspiration to other nations that the people who acknowledge God, give thanks to Him and live in unity can achieve their impossible.”
