PHOTOS: Eminence Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson Arrives In Ghana To Lead National Prayer and Thanksgiving
He was welcomed by the Minister of Local Government and Religious Affairs Hon Ahmed Ibrahim and the Chairman of the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Committee, Mr Afriyie Ankrah and other top high-ranking personalities of the religious institutions.
Freeman Koryekpor A 
Ghanaian Catholic prelate who has served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences since 2022, has arrived in Ghana today ostensibly to lead a maiden of the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving event whoch was scheduled to take off on Monday July 1, 2025.
He was welcomed by the Minister of Local Government and Religious Affairs Hon Ahmed Ibrahim and the Chairman of the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Committee, Mr Afriyie Ankrah and other top high-ranking personalities of the religious institutions.
The event is a call for spiritual renewal and national unity, with a focus on expressing gratitude for the nation's blessings.
The historic event, being the brainchild of the President H.E John Dramani Mahama was to unite the nation in thanksgiving and prayer for the sustainance and protection of the borders of Ghana.
The event will be an annual commemoration especially being strategically on the day Ghana attained the Republic status.
Eminence Cardinal Appiah Turkson upon arrival
at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra expressed his ultimate appreciations for being part of the integral annual event back home.
He stressed, "If the President of your country invites you to an event, you have no reason to decline."
He called for God protection for Ghanaians and President Mahama Dramani and indicated his readiness to support the nation prayers.
Later from Kotoka International Airport, he met
with President John Dramani Mahama who warmly welcomed Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson back to Ghanaian soil.
He extended profound gratitude for the Cardinal's gracious acceptance to deliver the sermon at the inaugural National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving Service.
In his acknowledgement, Cardinal Turkson observed, "If the President of your country calls, you can't say no."
He underscored the imperative of a harmonious synergy between the ecclesiastical and governmental spheres, emphasizing their reciprocal obligation to provide sage guidance and support towards the country's developmental trajectory and democratic maturation.
Furthermore, the Cardinal highlighted the latent potential for the church to harness its extant structures in promoting sustainability, citing a pioneering initiative in Nigeria that the Catholic Church is positioned to replicate across the globe.
Upon his arrival in Accra, Cardinal Turkson expressed his sincere appreciation to President Mahama for the distinguished honor of inviting him to preach at the Thanksgiving Service.
It is noteworthy that President Mahama has proclaimed July 1st a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, with the inaugural celebration scheduled for the following day, featuring a confluence of Christian and Muslim prayers and thanksgiving observances.
Earlier, addressing the press conference, Chairman of the committee, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, pledged of the committee’s full commitment to making the day meaningful and unifying for all Ghanaians.
"We are ready to organise a successful event, he said calling on all and sundry to partake in this national event which serves as a viable platform to call for spiritual renewal and national unity, with a focus on expressing gratitude for the nation's blessings.
“We assure you, Mr President and the good people of Ghana that we will discharge our duties with diligence and dedication. We understand the weight of the responsibility entrusted to us,” Mr Ankrah assured.
The event, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah added would not just be another occasion on the national calendar, but a spiritual journey to seek the face of God for the nation.
“It is about nurturing a spiritual culture of gratitude, about fostering unity in diversity and about elevating our national consciousness to appreciate the hand of God in the affairs of our country,” he said.
He assured that the committee would consult broadly by engaging across the country to bring everybody on board from every region, every faith, and every background because “the national day of thanksgiving belongs to all of us”.
The membership of the committee is drawn from both Muslim and Christian denominations.
