Mahama State Of The Nation Address: Top 10 Highlights From President’s Speech To Ghanaians
President John Mahama tried to balance despair with hope as he delivered his first State of the Nation address
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
President John Mahama did not mince words about the state of the country during the State of the Nation address saying Ghana was in the dumps after taking over from the Akufo-Addo administration.
He however said he did not come to lament about the so-called abyss he inherited and outlined some of the plans his government had for the people of Ghana in the reset Agenda.
Source: UGC
“It is not my style to lament and shift blame. I am therefore not here to lament, even though there is much to lament about.”
Mahama proceeded to deliver an address that echoed promises from the National Democratic Congress manifesto as well as offering assurances to Ghanaians that his reset was on course.
David Amoateng, the president of the Traders Advocacy Group, noted to YEN.com.gh that it was too early to read too much about the president's actions.
"Anybody that is expecting that things will change with the first 100 days, I don’t think that person will be fair.”
Key takeaways from Mahama's state of the nation address
Pledge to fix the economy
Mahama has assured Ghanaians that his administration will resolve the country’s economic crisis by the end of his four-year mandate.
Referencing his successful pledge to fix the power crisis in 2015, Mahama assured Ghanaians that they could expect a similar outcome by the end of his presidency.
Yes, I promised to fix it, and I did! I wish to place firmly on record that from January 2016 until I handed over the administration of this country on January 7, 2017, there was no power rationing or load management in Ghana.
"I, John Dramani Mahama, will fix the economic crisis confronting our country and reset it on a path of growth and prosperity."
Fighting corruption
Mahama affirmed his stance on corruption and assured Ghanaians that his administration would combat graft effectively by ensuring accountability and transparency in public offices.
He stressed that corrupt officials would face legal consequences, signalling a renewed commitment to good governance.
"During my campaign for President, I pledged, as captured by the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto, to take a strong stance against corruption, end state capture, and end the purchase of State and public assets such as lands and other immovable assets by members of the political class."
Improved taxation
Mahama’s vision for Ghana’s economy revolves around austerity measures, waste reduction, and enhanced tax collection.
He said he planned to widen Ghana’s tax net, reform tax waivers, especially on investments and return to our homegrown solutions.
"We look forward to a positive economic outlook as we restore macroeconomic stability, encourage exports, activate the 24-Hour Economy initiative, implement the US$ 10 billion ‘Big Push’ policy for swift infrastructure development, rationalise taxes, and foster inclusive growth."
Nkoko nkitinkiti project and agric interventions
Mahama harped on the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda which he plans to use to modernise agriculture and enhance agribusiness.
He also noted the Feed Ghana Programme was meant to increase food production and reduce prices through projects like the Grains Development Project, focusing on rice, maize, and soybean production.
Mahama received cheers for the previously mocked nkoko nkitinkiti project meant to help 55,000 households produce eggs and fresh poultry for the market.
This is envisioned to help reduce the $300 million annual import bill for chicken.
"Our poultry farm-to-table project will eliminate poultry imports and increase local production. Ghana imports 95% of its poultry needs, which costs over US$ 300 million annually."
Plans for energy sector
The president admitted that the energy sector was in a grave state but assured that he was committed to restoring stability.
He also said he had directed the Minister for Energy and Green Transitions to implement far-reaching reforms, including enforcing a single revenue collection account and eliminating wasteful expenditures.
He also touched on a pilot partnership involving the Electricity Company of Ghana and one Enclave power which he described as successful.
"The Minister, following my directive has set up an advisory committee to guide the participation of the private sector in metering and billing in order to improve efficiency in revenue collection and reduce the high commercial and technical losses that are threatening to drown the state-owned utility company.
"ECG provides bulk supply of power to Enclave Power Limited. Enclave Power provides meters and bills all companies operating in the Free Zones Enclave with 99% revenue collection and nearly 100% uptime in power supply."
Changes to the National Service Scheme
Mahama noted that his government will introduce short military training as part of the national service scheme.
"This will instill a sense of fitness and discipline into our youth."
Transparent sports funding
Mahama vowed to put an end to secrecy in government spending on sports.
He said every cedi allocated to national teams and sporting activities is made public. The funding of national football teams has been a source of contention over the years.
“The budgets presented by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other sports associations must be known by the public. After all, it is the taxpayer’s funds that are used to fund these activities.”
Source: Facebook
New regions in line to get public universities
Mahama said there are plans in place to establish or expand tertiary education in the six new regions added under Akufo-Addo.
He noted that rising enrolment has strained university infrastructure, causing overcrowding and inadequate accommodation.
Seed funding for these projects is expected to come from the Ghana Education Trust Fund. Feasibility studies will also commence later in 2025.
"Government will engage with the existing public universities to identify suitable sites on their acquired lands for the implementation of the private sector participation in the provision of hostels."
Renewed pledge on Free SHS
Mahama again reaffirmed his commitment to the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, assuring Ghanaians that he has no intention of cancelling it.
He stressed that his government would rather improve the policy to address its current challenges.
“Mr Speaker, let me repeat it once again. I, John Dramani Mahama, will not cancel the Free SHS Programme. I will rather make it better from the implementation problems that it has been facing."
$400 million spent under Agenda 111
The president lamented lapses in the implementation of the Agenda 111 programme to build over 100 health facilities.
He described the Agenda 111 programme as an impulsive reaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. $400 million has been spent on the project but with zero outcomes.
"Mr. Speaker, for the record, as I speak, not a single Agenda 111 hospital is operational in any part of Ghana. It is worth disclosing that US $400 million has already been disbursed under Agenda 111 project."
"At a rate of approximately $18m per hospital, the US$ 400 million spent could have completed at least 22 hospitals for Ghanaians. We will now require GHS 22 billion to complete the projects."
New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!
Source: YEN.com.gh
