Ghanaian social activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has taken a swipe at plans to observe July 1 as a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving.
He said it is ironic that Ghanaians will be praying to “White Jesus” to save a country that they have destroyed with their own actions.
In a social media post on Saturday, June 7, the vocal activist suggested that the day remain intact and in rememberance of the country’s transition to a full Republican status.
“Let me guess: we will be praying to White Jesus to save the country we ourselves are destroying. No. July 1st must remain a day of bold remembrance, of courage, of defiance — not of docility. Not of shame disguised as piety,” he wrote.
His comment follows the government’s decision to mark a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving on July 1—alongside the country’s Republic Day observed since 1960.
The day is meant for citizens to thank God for His mercies and pray for the country’s progress.
But Barker-Vormawor, who is the lead convener of the Democracy Hub, believes this decision is a betrayal of Ghana’s historical struggle for sovereignty.
“The idea of making 1st July a prayer day is not just misguided — it is a betrayal of our history. We must never forget: the stories we tell ourselves as a nation matter. They shape who we are and what we fight for,” he stated.
“July 1st is not an ordinary day. It is the day we tore ourselves free from the grip of Empire. A day we proclaimed that we, the people of Ghana, are sovereign — that no foreign power, no colonial god, no imperial hand would chart our destiny again.”
