I’m In A Hurry… Nana Dazzles NDC

President Akufo-Addo yesterday took the nation by storm when he delivered his maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The address, which touched on key components of the economy, was not without the usual heckling from the minority – the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Many were those who expressed disappointment in the conduct of some members of the minority, who took the heckling to the extreme, amidst the throwing of tantrums.

At a point when the heckling was obviously becoming obstructive, President Akufo-Addo could not but taunted, “Mr. Speaker, whatever be the case, I will have my say.”

Drama
The President was met on arrival with cheers of “Aba mu awie, Aba mu awie” [song], literally translated as “it has come to pass” by the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP).

But even before he could settle down to deliver his address, the minority did a rendition of the music of hiplife artiste Kofi Kinata – “Awurade bɛgye steer no…. (Lord take over the steering wheel) – from the president.

Moments later, the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, gave the president the opportunity to deliver the much-touted address.

In a speech that lasted almost an hour-and-a-half, President Akufo-Addo dazzled the House with a great deal of oratory skills, painting a gloomy picture of the state of the Ghanaian economy, saying, “The economy of our country is in a bad way.”

Issues
He was, however, certain of his government's ability to turn around the fortunes of Ghana from what the NPP inherited from the erstwhile Mahama-led NDC administration.

First was his condemnation of certain incidents that occurred during the transition period that were of concern to him, saying, “They marred an otherwise dignified and successful transition.

“Wrongdoing has no political colour, and I do not subscribe to the lawlessness of political party supporters simply because their party has been elected into office.”

By this time, some minority MPs had started pulling out placards with the inscription, “Stop the lawlessness.”

For him, “It appears these events were predicated on some concept of equalisation, as they happened in 2009, and were repeated again in 2017. I condemn all such conduct, and I call on all political parties, especially the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, to ensure that this is the last time such undignified acts occur during our periods of transition.”

Determination
Nana Akufo-Addo said, “I have set to work, putting into place the members of the team who will help me govern.

“I have heard it said that I am behaving like a man in a hurry. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed, in a hurry. I am in a great hurry. The times in which we live demand that we all be in a hurry to deal with the problems we face.”

He expressed hope that the House would be expeditious in dealing with the rest of his nominees in an equally fast and efficient manner, with the hope that by March this year, he would have the full complement of his appointments in place.

His reason was that “For too many young people, unemployment is sadly the reality of the start to their adult life.”

Worry
“For years, for generations, it was assumed and guaranteed in this country that the quality of life of every generation would be an improvement on that of their parents. We are now faced with the phenomenon of parents looking on in frustration as their grown-up children remain at home, without the means to strike an independent life by themselves,” President Akufo-Addo noted with worry.

He therefore charged, “This generation of Ghanaians dares not be the one to reverse this natural trend. We must create the atmosphere that generates jobs. We must boost the confidence of the private sector to invest in the economy.”

Budget Deficit
“We must have the courage to start building our future and take the hard decisions that need to be taken to grow our economy. We have no choice but to reduce the budget deficit and cut waste in all sectors of public life,” he stated with optimism.

The president stressed the need to complete the formalisation of the economy, pointing out that the process for a comprehensive national identification system and a property titling system would be completed this year.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent