Security is tight in and around the Parliamentary Precinct ahead of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Security had been beefed up at various points in the Parliamentary precinct with the police having to do thorough checks before allowing members of parliament, parliamentary staff, the media and invited guests to enter the Chamber as part of the precautionary measures.
It has been a hive of activity with police motorbikes already on display not to mention the showcasing of the rich Ghanaian culture.
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin together with Mr Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, and Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader of Parliament, are expected to receive the President to deliver his address.
Among the dignitaries are Ministers of State, Members of the diplomatic community in Ghana, Members of the Council of State, the clergy, the leadership of the various political parties and the public.
Some guests the Ghana News Agency spoke with shared varied views of the President delivering a message of hope, while others were optimistic the that message would be that of continuing his good administration.
“I am sure the President will deliver a message of hope to the nation today after a long-awaited reshuffle exercise, there is hope,” a guest who spoke on condition of anonymity told the GNA.
Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution mandates the President to deliver a message on the SONA to Parliament at the start of each session and before the dissolution of Parliament.
It also imposes an obligation on Members of Parliament to the Speaker of Parliament and the Judiciary to receive the President’s SONA.
SONA is a constitutional obligation and yearly tradition, wherein the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces reports on the status of the country, unveils the Government’s agenda for the coming year, and proposes to Parliament certain legislative measures.
GNA
ABD
27 Feb 2024
