A massive flood swept through homes and communities and inundated major roads, disrupting daily economic activities and costing affected citizens millions of dollars and cedis worth of property.

About 15 persons have been confirmed dead following a heavy downpour in the early hours of Monday, June 29, which continued through to about 4 p.m.

Despite this, President Mahama has urged Ghanaians to be grateful and give thanks to God. He made these remarks during the second edition of the National Thanksgiving Day celebration held on Wednesday, July 1, at the forecourt of the State House in Accra under the theme, "Resetting Our Values to Build the Ghana We Want."

"We do not gather because every challenge confronting us has disappeared or because our work as a nation is complete. Rather, we gather because, through every challenge, God has remained faithful to us.

“Today, Ghana pauses not because our journey is complete, but because every nation that seeks lasting greatness must occasionally stop to remember, to give thanks, to reflect, and to renew its covenant with Almighty God and with one another,” President Mahama said.

President Mahama stressed that Ghana’s transformation cannot be achieved through government policies and infrastructure projects alone, but that the values, choices and decisions of citizens continue to play a critical role in shaping the country.

"Lasting national transformation is not achieved solely through policy. Laws can regulate behaviour, but laws cannot instil integrity. Governments can implement programmes, but governments cannot legislate honesty, compassion or patriotism," President Mahama noted.

He added that, "The Ghana we seek will not be built solely through major infrastructure projects or economic reforms. The Ghana we seek will be built by the millions of ordinary Ghanaians who make the right choices every day and commit themselves to doing what is right."

President John Dramani Mahama noted that Ghana cannot achieve sustainable development and economic prosperity through prayer and faith alone, but also through hard work, discipline and responsibility.

According to him, every citizen has a role to play in building a prosperous nation, therefore urging all and sundry to take responsibility and actively contribute to the country's development.

“Our national journey reminds us of an enduring truth: 'Faith without works is dead,' says James 2:26. Prayer without responsibility cannot transform an economy. Hope without discipline cannot create prosperity.

“Throughout history, God's people have always combined faith with hard work. When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, the people prayed, but they also laboured. When Joseph prepared Egypt for the years of famine, they also planned wisely,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ghana has today, Wednesday, July 1, marked sixty-six (66) years since attaining republican status. This year's celebration, initially scheduled for Wednesday, July 1, had to be moved to Friday in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act (Act 601).

As part of the amendment, statutory holidays that fall on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday are commemorated on Monday or Friday.

Ghana first became a Republic under its first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, on Friday, July 1, 1960, three years after independence. Today, Ghana functions under the Fourth Republic established by the 1992 Constitution.

July 1 had been marked as a statutory public holiday until 2019, when former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assented to the Public Holidays (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 986). Every July 1 was thereafter recognised as a day of remembrance under the Akufo-Addo administration.

Part of a statement from the Interior Ministry read:

“The general public is hereby informed that Friday, July 3, 2026, marks Republic Day, which is a statutory public holiday.

“However, in view of the fact that July 1, 2026, falls on a Wednesday, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana has, by Executive Instrument (E.I.), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act (Act 601), as amended, declared Friday, July 3, 2026, a public holiday and it should be observed as such throughout the country.”

The Convention People's Party (CPP) has repeatedly called for a repeal of the law that changed the status of July 1 and September 21 from statutory public holidays to commemorative days.