Akufo-Addo to take oath in parliamentary tent

President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will next on January 7, 2020, be sworn-in as President for a second term in a parliamentary tent created at the Parliament House, in Accra.

He will, however, deliver the State of the Nation Address, in the chamber of parliament, in Osu-Accra, tomorrow, Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader in Parliament, announced the venues on Monday, in Accra, when House returned for the Christmas and New Year holidays, to complete the last three days of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

He said the election of the new Speaker of Parliament would take place in the chamber, but the swearing-in of the new parliament, the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic would take place in the tent.

The announcement was in response to Members’ questions on the exact venues within the precincts of House, for the President and President Elect’s constitutional roles in relation to the delivery of the State of the Nation’s Address (SONA) and his inauguration.

The Seventh Parliament, which began on January 7, 2017, would dissolve on the night of January 6, 20202, and usher in the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic, on the eve of January 7, 2021.

Mr Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu, announced in the Business Statement that “H E the President of the Republic is expected to deliver a message on the State of the Nation prior to the dissolution of the Seventh Parliament, on Tuesday, 5th January 2021, in accordance with Article 67 of the Constitution.”

He entreated members to attend upon the House punctually for the event.

A visit of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the car park of the Parliament House, where a large conference tent has been erected for the ceremony, shows that finishing touches were being done to the place for the ceremony.

The hitherto open space has been tarred with goudron, and the avenue trees to the venue have been re-painted fresh from the base to the stem in the Ghana national colours of red, yellow and green.

The street has also seen much improvement.

The dwarf poles holding the street lights the venue, which were in disrepair and had looked abandoned, were being worked on, with numerous barricades under the giant mahogany trees that line the streets.

The inauguration ceremony at the Parliament House follows a decision to move the inauguration from the Black Star Square after an appeal by Parliament last November to have subsequent swearing-in of presidents in the precincts of parliament.

The GNA observed a heightened security presence in the precincts.

Meanwhile, Minority Chief Whip Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka, in contribution to the Business Statement, has prayed the Leadership of the House not to engage members in any tall business before dissolution to allow for ample time for the business of the Committee on Emoluments.