BY Grace Zigah
The Western North Regional Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has sharply criticized President John Dramani Mahama’s recent proclamation of July 1st as a National Thanksgiving Day, describing it as a political stunt and a mockery of the hardship facing Ghanaian youth under his administration.
In a strongly worded press statement issued on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the NPP’s Western North Regional Youth Organizer, Gabriel Doh, questioned the sincerity behind the President’s call for a nationwide religious observance of thanksgiving. The day, which the Mahama administration has declared to be marked annually by churches, mosques, and religious groups, is being touted by government communicators as a moment of national unity and spiritual reflection.
However, the NPP youth wing says the move lacks credibility, especially in light of the mass layoffs that followed the change of government.
According to Doh, more than 35,000 young Ghanaians—employed under youth-focused initiatives introduced by the previous NPP administration—have been dismissed since Mahama took office in January.
These include workers under programs such as the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo), Youth Employment Agency (YEA), and other public sector recruitments initiated by the former government.
“Today, these youths are languishing at home, struggling to survive,” Doh stated.
“How can the same President who terminated their jobs turn around and call for a Thanksgiving service?”
The youth leader also took issue with what he called President Mahama’s “hypocrisy” over religious matters, referencing the President’s prior opposition to the controversial National Cathedral project initiated under former President Akufo-Addo. While the project sparked national debate due to its cost and priority, it was promoted as a sacred symbol of national gratitude to God.
“It is baffling that the same President who demonized the building of the National Cathedral now seeks to position himself as the spiritual leader of the nation,” the statement added.
The NPP youth wing described the declaration of a National Thanksgiving Day as tone-deaf to the economic and social challenges confronting young people.
They argue that instead of ceremonial gestures, the government should focus on restoring employment, improving economic opportunities, and delivering practical support to the country’s youth.
“Does your call to thank God include the voices of the 35,000 unemployed youth whose livelihoods you cruelly shattered?” the statement asked pointedly.
In their concluding remarks, the youth wing demanded the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed workers, insisting that genuine thanksgiving must be rooted in justice and compassion.
Until such steps are taken, the group said, the July 1 holiday will be seen as “a political gimmick, devoid of sincerity and an insult to the dignity of the suffering masses.”
