Kojo Oppong Nkrumah applauds President on SONA

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Information has commended President Nana Akufo-Addo on the 2019 State of the Nations Address (SONA) describing the message as “apt and fit for purpose”.

According to him, the message delivered by the President on the SONA was appropriate and gave the people the state of affairs of the country, which parliament was required to examine.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah made commendation when he moved the motion for the House to start a debate on the State of the Nations Address (SONA) delivered by President Nana Akufo-Addo to Parliament.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday, February 21, 2019, appeared before Parliament to present the 2019 SONA in line with the constitutional obligation to update Ghanaians on the State of Affairs in the country.

The event provides the President the platform to recount salient happenings in different segments of society, stretching from security, industry, services, social sector, such as education, healthcare delivery, and sanitation, to agriculture and the economy.

Mr Nkrumah also commended his colleague MPs for the decorum and comportment they showed during the President’s SONA.

According to him, the peace and security of every nation was key for its development as it was not guaranteed by mere rhetoric, but investments in logistics.

He said 4000 additional personnel had been recruited to the Police while government provided over 200 vehicles and communication gadgets to the forces.

Mr Nkrumah said there was a change in the country because the state of education and security were healthy under the Nana Akufo-Addo led administration and announced that the government had expanded the scope of basic education to include; Senior High School (SHS) programme.

Mr James Agalga, Ranking Member on Defence and Interior Committee who seconded the motion for the debate congratulated President Nana Akufo-Addo for restoring peace in Dagbon, but however chastised him for failing to acknowledge the contributions of previous Presidents towards the restoration of peace in the area.

He called for the arrest of the Killers of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and his elders in Yendi.

“The blood of Ya- Na Yakubu Andani is still crying for justice, and Mr Speaker I have said time without a number on this floor that crimes are not affected by statute of limitation”.

Mr Agalga also expressed concern on government’s decision to amend and implement LI 1332 to prolong the service of the country’s military personnel, which he said would result in an aging force for the nation.

“An aging force… how would that affect the overall security of our state… it mean that the ability of our men and women in uniform to defend our territorial integrity stands to be questioned”

According to Mr Agalga what the military personnel need was not the extension of their service but enhanced retirement package.

“Mr Speaker all I would say on this point is that what our soldiers need is not prolongation of service but enhanced retirement package so that when they retire they can integrate themselves properly with the civilian population” he added.