Wreath-laying to mark Founder’s Day

A national wreath-laying ceremony will take place on Wednesday September 21, at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum to commemorate the third Founder’s Day celebration.

A statement signed in Accra on Monday by the Deputy Minister of Information, Baba Jamal, said former South African President, Thabo Mbeki would be the Special Guest at the ceremony with Vice President John Dramani Mahama as Guest of Honour.

It said the programme would commence at 8.30 am prompt and open to the public.

President John Evans Atta Mills declared September 21, Founder’s Day in 2009 in honour of Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, one of the most revered black freedom fighters in the world.

The day has been declared a statutory public holiday, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior to Ghana News Agency on Monday.

The statement signed by the Deputy Minister, Mr Kwabena Akyeampong stated, “The general public is hereby reminded that Wednesday, September 21 which marks the Founder’s Day is a Statutory Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country”.

The Founder’s Day celebration which started last year is also to immortalise the country's founder, Dr Nkrumah, whose birthday falls on that day.

Dr Nkrumah was the motivating force behind the independence of Ghana from British rule in 1957 and became the first president of the country.

The African Union (AU) at its 13th Ordinary Summit in the Libyan town of Sirte also adopted the centenary birthday celebration of the founder and first President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, as a continental event. In a resolution adopted at the end of the summit, the African leaders stated that "we unanimously agree to celebrate Dr Nkrumah's centenary birthday and put it on the AU's calendar of Special Events".