The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu, Mr Ras Mubarak, has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA), for his first term in government, as empty and unimpressive.

He said the President’s projection of a strong economic growth was a far cry from the reality, and that Ghanaians across the country had not seen any such growth.

Mr Mubarak made the comment in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in reaction to President Akufo-Addo’s last SONA to the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic, as demanded by the 1992 Constitution.
The Seventh Parliament dissolves on the midnight of January 6, 2021.

President Akufo-Addo stated among other things that his government was able to implement major flagship programmes, achieved single digit inflation, and reduced fiscal deficits with three consecutive years of primary surpluses.

It also ensured relatively stable exchange rate, significant improvement in the current account with three consecutive years of trade surpluses, strong foreign exchange reserve buffers, and markedly reduced lending rates.

However, Mr Mubarak said Ghanaians did not feel the change the President talked about over the last four years, adding that people were still struggling to survive.

He said many businesses were at a standstill as a result of the COVID-19 and even before that there were genuine difficulties within the country.

Mr Mubarak expressed dismay at the silence of President Akufo-Addo over the numerous cases of violence and death witnessed in the December 7, 2020 elections.

However, Mr Fuseini Issah, the Member of Parliament for Okaikoi North, described the President’s presentation as excellent, given the number of achievements chalked by his government within the last four years.

He said the December 7 polls were generally peaceful and that the violence witnessed were just isolated cases.

“The Police have already started investigations into these cases and I’m hopeful the culprits will be brought to book,” he said.

Mr Issah lauded President Akufo-Addo for paying respect to the memory of the First President under the Fourth Republic, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, who, sadly, passed away on 12th November, 2020.