Mahama must be candid with us in his last SONA – Muntaka

Majority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed wants President John Mahama to be truthful to Ghanaians so far as his four-year stewardship is concerned as he delivers his last address to Parliament today.

The president who is leaving office on January 6 is expected to tell Ghanaians among others what he has been able to achieve for the country in what is termed the State of the Nation Address (SONA) today.

The event which was originally scheduled for December 22, 2016 but had to be postponed for unknown reasons to January 5, 2017, is a constitutional requirement enshrined in Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.

Muntaka Mohammed, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asawase, told TV3’s Catherine Frempomaa ahead of the President’s address that what the president would do, will be a “pure inventory of his stewardship” over the four years.

He however expects President Mahama to “be candid with us, should be truthful to us about things he has been able to do” whilst in office.

He also wants the outgoing president to “wish all of us well”.

He explained that all stand to gain when the country succeeds, hence the need for Mr. Mahama to have a positive outlook.

The president should also tell Ghanaians some of his achievements that were not too obvious to Ghanaians that his political opponents capitalized on.

The MP who will from January 7 be on the Minority side predicts the National Democratic Congress MPs are “going to have a tough time in the house” considering their number which he described as “too small”.

The New Patriotic Party needs just 15 more to form two-third in a House of 275 Members of Parliament. Muntaka who entered Parliament whilst his party was in opposition stressed, “it is not going to be easy in opposition”.

He however promised his side will be “factual” and put in “a lot of energy” to keep the government of the day on its toes.

Matthew Nyindam, the Member of Parliament of Kpandai, told TV3 the NPP will not use its “unprecedented 169 members” to bulldoze their way through in the House. “We will take decisions that will be in the best interest of Ghana,” he said.