I beat Mahama 7-0, let Ghana move on …Nana Addo says at SONA 2021

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on the country to put aside its differences and team up as a united people working towards lasting and sustainable solutions to the post COVID-19 challenges.

Nana Addo on Tuesday told the country that he won by a unanimous 7-0 Supreme Court ruling in the recent electoral petition filed against him by former President John Mahama and that once the court dispute are over, it is time to bring all hands on deck, fold up sleeves and make Ghana move forward.

“The Supreme Court, for example, last week determined the challenge to the validity of the 2020 presidential election, and affirmed its validity in a unanimous decision. The Court has spoken. It is time for all of us to move on, and, in a united manner, confront the problems of post-COVID Ghana”, Nana Addo on Tuesday when he appeared before Parliament to give the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday 9 March.

“I am particularly delighted as this Message is the first of my 2nd term, the validity of which was unanimously upheld last week in a well-reasoned and excellent ruling by a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice, on 4th March 2021”, the  President, noted in his opening statements on the SONA.

Nana Addo’s reference to the Supreme Court ruling appeared to be an address to a recent statement by John Mahama that he disagreed with the ruling but he was bound by law to abide by it.

At Tuesday’s SONA, Nana Akufo-Addo touched on several other sectors of the country including economy, agriculture, health, arts and tourism, education, roads and many more.

Roads And Transport:

“Mr. Speaker, in my inaugural address, I declared 2021 as the “Second Year of Roads”. This declaration is intended to continue to prioritise road construction so that road projects that started under the Sinohydro facility will be completed, as will interchanges that are at various stages of completion. Specific details of the road projects are going to be outlined in the budget that will be read on Friday.

“Mr. Speaker, Cabinet has granted policy approval for the establishment of a National Flag Carrier (Home Based Airline) with strategic partner participation. The House will be duly informed on developments in this area. Construction of the second and third phases of the Kumasi Airport, second phase of Tamale Airport, and rehabilitation of the Sunyani airport, are all proceeding satisfactorily. A decision on the siting of the proposed airport in the Central and Western Regions is imminent.

“Mr. Speaker, in order to revive the fortunes of the metro mass public transport system, Government has provided a total of one hundred (100) new intercity buses for Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL), and an additional one hundred (100) buses for the Intercity STC Coaches Limited. The construction of a new dedicated container terminal at the Tema Port is ongoing, and three (3) out of the four (4) berths have been completed to facilitate maritime and inland waterways transportation”, Nana Addo noted.

Tourism:

Mr. Speaker, our nation continues to benefit from the “Year of Return.” Since then, we have intensified our engagement with Africans in the diaspora and all persons of African descent more positively in areas such as trade and investment co-operation, and skills and knowledge development, in what we call “Beyond the Return”. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, together with its implementing agency, the Ghana Tourism Authority, is working towards the realisation of this initiative, which will bring even greater spotlight on our nation Ghana.

“A lot of work has been undertaken in revamping our tourist sites, and making them attractive. Digital revenue collection systems have been installed at the Elmina and Cape Coast Castles, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Wli Waterfalls. Government has upgraded five (5) tourism sites to meet international standards for increased visitation, and create jobs and incomes for the people. The new Minister for the sector, the industrious Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, has also indicated his determination to strengthen the Creative Arts industry in Ghana. Already, the first-ever Creative Arts Senior High School, located in Kwadaso in the Ashanti Region, is nearing completion; the governing board of the National Film Authority is in place; and even greater attention will be paid to this sector by Government.

HOPE:

“This Ghana will be defined by integrity, sovereignty, a common ethos, discipline, and shared values. It is one where we aim to be masters of our own destiny, where we mobilise our own resources for the future, breaking the shackles of the “Guggisberg” colonial economy and a mind-set of dependency, bailouts and extraction. It is an economy where we look past commodities to position ourselves in a global marketplace. It is a country where we focus on trade, not aid, a hand-up, not a hand-out. It is a country with a strong private sector. It is a country that recognises the connectedness of its people and economy to those of its neighbours.

This requires a forward-looking vision for our country, enabling us to confront our challenges and embrace our opportunities, not one fastened in the rear-view mirror. It is a Ghana beyond aid.”

Mr. Speaker, I remain wholly committed to fulfillment of this vision.

May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.

I thank you for your attention.