<<Print>>

President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday delivered the State of the Nation Address in Parliament. This is the second State of the Nation Address he has delivered since he took office in January 2013. Among other things, the President urged Ghanaians to patronize made-in-Ghana goods to help shoot up the cedi and stabilize the economy. He also called on Ghanaians to rise to the challenges of transforming the nation, saying, �We cannot falter and we must not be afraid because God is on our side.� Seconding the motion for the House to be adjourned, the Minority Leader in parliament, however indicated that the address was �a recycle� of what President Mahama said in 2013. �I notice though that it is a rehash and perhaps a recycling of many of the things but the debate hasn�t begun and so I reserve my comment,� he said. According to Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, �one important arm of government was not mentioned�but we reserve our energies for the fateful day. I am happy that he said everybody should come together�. Freddy Blay, a former 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament in an interview with GTV also indicated that he felt �disappointed� in the President�s address. �I have heard it before. It is a repacking of old products. It is a pity�fundamentally my President today disappointed me,� the aspiring Vice First Chairman of the NPP said. Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, Minority spokesperson on Finance and also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo also described President Mahama�s address as a disappointment. �I am very disappointed. So far what is in the budget does not respond to our problem and so you must come out with new plans. I thought the president will do that so that we can have a consensus but I didn�t hear that and I am very disappointed. It was like a rehash of the budget and so it was nothing new,� he indicated. Meanwhile, Parliament has been adjourned to Wednesday, 26th February 2014 for further debate on issues raised by the President in his address.