Mahama vows to grant Muslims additional Eid holiday

In a move aimed at fostering inclusivity and recognizing the cultural and religious diversity within Ghana, former President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to grant Muslims an additional Eid holiday if he assumes office in the upcoming elections.

This commitment reflects the former president's dedication to promoting religious harmony and ensuring that all faith communities feel equally represented.

He voiced his worry over certain Muslims being excluded from the public holiday after Ramadan due to the 29 or 30-day rule for moon sightings.

Addressing the 63rd Annual National Conference of the Ghana Muslim Mission in Kumasi on Friday, December 29, Mr. Mahama expressed his commitment to ensuring that this adjustment does not negatively impact productivity.

He underscored the intention to amend the Public Holidays Act to maintain the consistent number of public holidays per year in Ghana.

“We aim to address the issue where some of our Muslim community members are unable to enjoy the public holiday at the end of Ramadan due to the 29 or 30-day rule for sighting the moon.”

“To do this, we will introduce an additional holiday to the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr. We will, however, ensure that this does not affect productivity by modifying the Public Holidays Act so that Ghana continues to have the same number of public holidays per year.”

Former President Mahama is cognizant of the importance of acknowledging and celebrating this diversity, promoting a sense of belonging and inclusivity.