President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has by Proclamation declared Sunday, March 15, 2015 which is the 206^th birth anniversary of former President Joseph Jenkins Roberts as a National Holidayand is to be observed Monday, March 16, 2015.

A Foreign Ministry release says the President’s Proclamation is in consonance with an act of the Forty-Second (42^nd) National Legislature during its Third Session which in recognition of the first President of the Republic of Liberia declared March 15 of every year a National Holiday as a mark of respect and reverence to his memory and for his untiring efforts organizing the first Government of the Republic as well as negotiating and concluding treaties with Foreign Powers which gave recognition to the founding of the Liberian Nation.

The President, in her Proclamation, added that it is befitting that such honor accorded the memory of this distinguished Statesman serves as a challenge to all Liberians to aspire to higher and nobler endeavors by emulating his courage, endurance, selflessness and commitment to the principles and ideals of democracy as portrayed in his works and life as Liberia’s first president.