The  President-elect, Professor Fiifi Atta Mills, has acknowledged the contents and form of President John Agyekum Kufuor's State of the Nation Address and has pledged to factor them into his government's development programme.

 He has also commended the President for the trust reposed in Prof. Mills to bring the wealth of experience garnered while in government and out of it to forge a sense of unity in the country.

These sentiments were expressed on his behalf by his Spokesman, Mr Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, in his reaction to the President's address to Parliament on Monday.

It would be recalled that President Kufuor, in his address to Parliament, congratulated Prof. Mills on his victory in the presidential election, and also hoped and prayed that he would use his rich experience while he served as the vice-president of the country to transform the social and economic fortunes of the country.

According to Mr Ayariga, President-elect Mills was someone who heeded good advice and counsel and, for that matter, would consider seriously what he described as the reinvigorating address by President Kufuor.

The spokesman of the President-elect said considering the rising expectations of the majority of people, Prof. Mills  would 'carry on board good ideas', irrespective of the proponents' political and ideological point of view.

He explained that Prof. Mills was irrevocably committed to genuine nation building and would not for any reason undertake measures that could be counterproductive to ideas from credible political organisations to re-arrange the social and economic order of the country.

Mr Ayariga said the statement by the President-elect that he would be a father to all was not a fluke, but should be viewed by Ghanaians as a genuine commitment that would be handled with accommodation and perseverance.

He said throughout his life, Prof. Mills had demonstrated beyond every shred of doubt that he was an embodiment of hope, resilience and perseverance, and  somebody who abhorred revenge and vengeance.

The spokesman for the President-elect described the tone of the President's address as accommodating, which pointed to the fact that national unity was pre-requisite for the nation's development.

Story by Kweku Tsen