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

The Proclamation called on all citizens and foreign residents within the borders to observe the day, and require all Government offices and business houses to be closed on this Day from 6:00 ante meridian to 6:00 post meridian.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Liberian leader has requested all citizens in solemn cooperation with all Prelates, Priests, Deacons, Evangelists, Imams, Elders and other Members of the Sacerdotal Order, regardless of religious creed, to gather together with one purpose in their respective places of worship in each City, town, village, hamlet, home, especially in the City of Monrovia, Montserrado County on Friday, July 22 and Sunday, July 24, and offer thanks and praises to God for His blessings showered upon us in past and present times and beseech Him for his continuing goodness and beneficence towards all peoples and nations of the earth, especially, the people of Liberia.

The Official Celebration of the Day will be observed in Monrovia, Montserrado County under the theme: “Consolidating Progress toward Transformation”.

The Proclamation notes that in His infinite goodness and mercy, God has blessed and prospered the work of the minds, hearts and hands of all the people of Liberia from July 1847, when this nation was declared a free, sovereign independent State and from then through the years of our national life, manifold and varied have been experiences of the nation and its people, who through it all have been able to forge their way by dent of perseverance, devotion, and courage.

It furthered that after due deliberations on the future of “Settlements” and facing colonial challenges and threats, the Founding Fathers did publish to the world that historic and immortal 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, sovereign and independent state thereby warding off encroachment from any colonial power and becoming the first independent African Republic.

The Proclamation added that it is meek, right and a binding duty, in grateful recognition of the blessings and miraculous deliverances which His Almighty Hand has extended to the country as a Nation and People, although we have been most unworthy of them, to give thanks, adoration and praise unto Him for saving the State and to commemorate the brave and timely Decision of the Nation’s forebears on July 26th 1847.

It noted that under the “Patriotic Observances Law”, Title 26, Liberian Code of Laws of 1956, the 26^th day of July each year is set aside as a Public Holiday to be known as “Independence Day” and appropriately celebrated.