President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama give im first state of di nation address since in enta power for January, 2025.
Di president wey Ghanaians elect for di second time after im bin lose election for 2017, address parliamentarians and Ghanaians for di floor of parliament on Thurday 27 February.
Oga Mahama for im state of di nation address, highlight ogbonge issues wey di kontri dey face, especially for di economy.
Im tok say di kontri dey inside plenti debts and im dey try to reduce di cost of governance wit im lean cabinet of 60 ministers, deputy and regional ministers.
Key points of some of di tins im tok about dey below.
Make Parliament approve deputy ministers sharp-sharp
President Mahama ask di lawmakers to do fast to approve im nominees for deputy ministers.
Dis na after im thank parliament as dem approve di pipo im nominate for ministerial positions sharp-sharp.
“Dis efficiency dey unmatched in di history of di fourth republic. E demonstrate wetin we fit achieve wen we come togeda to serve di pipo of our great kontri.
I believe say una go apply di same process for di deputy ministerial nominees, e go make dem start work sharp-sharp and assist di ministers to deliver our noble mission of resetting our dear nation.”
Reduction of ministers and staff to cut cost
President Mahama say one of di tins im consider for di nomination of minister na di large size-wey Ghanians no like sake of di high cost wey dey follow am.
“I believe say as I reduce di six to 60 ministers and deputy ministers, plus regional ministers, we go continue to reduce di size for future goments.”
Im say as dem don inaugurate di Council of State, dem fit start to appoint di staff of di Presidency.
“I intend to reduce di number of staff as compared to di number for previous administrations.”
Im explain say di aim of all dis reduction na to lead by example, to cut down wetin goment dey spend for governance and to reduce di deficit for di budget.
“Ghana na a nation wey dey troubled on many fronts but we also get many blessings wey include di firm democracy wey we don establish. Despite di kasala, we don experience four peaceful transfer of goment for our land.”
Im say even as kasala dey for some areas, dem dey happy say di routine of transfer of power dey veri successful.
‘Di state of our nation no good at all’
President Mahama say Ghanaians vote give di kontri dia first female Vice-President, Prof. Nana
Im say for im and di National Democratic Party (NDC), di victory na a selfless call to duty from pipo wey years of poor governance and economic issues don worry well-well.
Im urge evribody for goment at all level to accept di call of duty and do am wit dedication and respect.
“I dey sad to report say di state of our nation no good, our economy dey in crisis and our pipo dey suffer hardships wey dem no expect at all.
We go host a national economic dialogue on 3 and 4 March and on 11 March di Minister of Finance on my behalf go present di budget estimate for di financial year 2025 to di house.”
According to am, dis event go give dem di chance to present di true situation of Ghana economic situation to di pipo.
“No be my style to blame pipo wen challenges come, my style na to face am and provide solutions to di challenges.”
Im tok how im plan to remove Ghana from di plenti challenges wey di kontri get.
Im say na ten years ago wen im take di decision to fix ‘dumsor’ power shortages for di kontri and “I fix am”. Im add say from January 2016 till im hand over power for January 7, 2017 wen im handova to di new goment dat time, notin like rationing of power (electricity) or load management bin dey for Ghana.
“And like dis one, I dey moved to make a similar declaration say I John Dramani Mahama, I go fix di economic crisis wey our kontri dey face and I go reset am on a part of growth and prosperity.”
Dis promise and vow by di president receive cheers and happiness from parliamentarians.
‘We dey stagger wit debts’
Oga Mahama say from di books wey dem don see, “we dey stagger wit debts and we don always see signs say some of dis tins na deliberate and reckless mismanagement of our resources.”
Im add say even di restrictions from di International Monetary Fund (IMF) no reach to even control di economic team to make dem manage di resources wey Ghana get veri well.
By setting an inflation rate target of 18 percent by 2024 di actual return be 23.8 percent wey dey significantly higher dan di threshold wey dem agree wit di IMF. Di Ghana cedis continue to fall down, losing19 percent of e value against di dollar in 2024. In di previous year, e bin don lose 27.8 percent of e value.”
Im say all dis na in addition to di public debt of 721 billion cedis, many state owned enterprises dey owe debts too including di ECD wey dey owe 68 billion Ghana cedis. Ghana Cocoa board dey owe 32.5 billion cedis of which dem suppose pay 9.7 billion by September, 2025
Oga Mahama say di debts wey di kontri dey owe don make dem no fit build beta infrastructure for di pipo.
“We dey work to also review di IMF support programme, we don also make plans to make sure say we clear all dis debts.”
Im add say dem don conclude di new minimum wage for workers and oda tins wey go move di kontri forward.