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05.01.2013 General News

Mahama's Address Was Silent On Critical Issues—Minority Leader

By DAILY GRAPHIC
John Dramani MahamaJohn Dramani Mahama
05.01.2013 LISTEN

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has stated that President John Mahama failed to focus on human rights issues as specified in the 1992 Constitution in his State-of-the-Nation Address to Parliament.

However, the Majority Leader, Mr Chris Apul Avoka, expressed a different opinion, describing the address as a splendid departure from the usual state-of-the-nation addresses which were normally read for an hour or more.

Sharing his views on the State-of-the-Nation Address delivered by President Mahama before Parliament in an interview in Accra Friday, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said another missing link in the address was that the President was quiet on the right to work which the Constitution mandated the President to include in the address.


There was an ambiance of unity between the Majority and the Minority sides during the address.

The Minority Leader said the speech was also silent on environmental sanitation, which is one of the areas that ought to be included in any state of the nation address, saying it was no wonder that for the first time there were many reported cases of cholera in the country in 2011 and 2012 because sanitation in the cities and towns was generally not the best.

For his part, Mr Avoka said the President was able to touch on salient issues within 20 minutes of his address.

He said the President demonstrated that he was on top of all the issues, as his delivery was spiced with statistics.

He said the President also acknowledged the presence of dignitaries such as former President Jerry John Rawlings and also paid glowing tribute to the late former Vice-President Aliu Mahama.

He said the President demonstrated good leadership qualities, as he appealed for unity, peace and tranquillity to enable the government to deliver on its promises to Ghanaians, who he said ought to close their ranks and work for the betterment of the country.

Mr Joe Baidoe-Ansah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effia Kwesimintim, said he had problems with the specifics in the address, citing the 40 per cent of schools under trees which the President said had been provided with decent school buildings.

He claimed that the information the government provided during the electioneering was that almost all the schools under trees had been moved into decent accommodation.

He said it was, therefore, surprising that the President was not specific on the matter and resorted to percentages which even made the information provided more doubtful.

Mr Dominic Azumah, the MP for Garu, disagreed with the Minority members and said the speech contained all the information Ghanaians wanted, such as expanding the school feeding programme

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