Ellen issues July 26 proclamation

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by proclamation declared Sunday, July 26, 2015 as Independence Day to be celebrated throughout the Republic as a National Holiday.

The Proclamation, however, added that since the Day falls on Sunday, it will be commemorated on Monday, July 27, 2015. According to the release, the official festive celebration will take place under the Theme: “Celebrating Our Community As A Strong Foundation For Accelerated Development”

The Presidential Proclamation urges all citizens and foreign residents within the borders of Liberia to observe the event as such and orders Government offices and business houses closed during the observance from six o’clock ante meridian to six o’clock post meridian.

The Proclamation further requests all Prelates, Priests, Deacons, Evangelists Imams, Elders and others members of the Sacerdotal Order, regardless of religious creed to gather with one purpose in their respective places of worship in each city, town, village, hamlet, home,
especially on Friday, July 24 2015 and Sunday, July 26 2015 to offer thanks and praises to God for his manifold blessing showered upon the nation throughout the ages and beseech him for his continuing goodness and beneficence toward mankind, especially the Liberian people.

Under the Patriotic and Cultural Observances Law title 25, Liberian Codes of Law Revised, the 26th day of July each year is set aside as a public holiday to be appropriately celebrated as “Independence Day” of Liberia.

The release says it is in grateful recognition of the miraculous deliverance that the Almighty God extended to the Government and Peoples of Liberia for which the nation must give thanks, adoration and praises unto him for saving the state as well as to commemorate the brave and timely decision of its forebears on July 26, 1847.

After due deliberation of the future of the “Settlements” and facing colonial challenges and threats, the Founding Fathers did publish to the world that historic and immoral instrument known as the Declaration Of Independence by which the Commonwealth of Liberia became and was presented to the comity of nations as a free and sovereign State thereby warding off encroachment from any colonial power and becoming the first Independent African Republic, the Proclamation declared. -Press Release