Mills asks Ghanaians to join in building a prosperous nation

Accra, Feb. 25, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills, in his second State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, asked Ghanaians to join him in creating hope, opportunity and peace of mind for the progress of the nation.

He was optimistic about the future of the nation based on sound democratic and inclusive governance, but noted that the challenges of the nation should be the concern of every Ghanaian and not just for one political group, nor exclusive to the Government of the day. "When love of country supersedes personal ideology, only then can Ghana grow and mature as a full participant in the 21st Century Global Village and become a stable, prosperous, democratic leader in Africa; but we can only achieve that if we agree to it together," President Mills emphasized. Titled "Partner in Vision" the 72-minute address made observations on the economy, agriculture, employment, youth development, education, health, housing, security and governance.

President Mills, in a preface to his address, enlisted the House and those in the public gallery, including former President Jerry Rawlings, Members of the Council of State, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Senior Security Officers, to observe a minute silence in memory of personalities including Mr B. J. Da Rocha, Major Courage Quashigah and Mama Dokua Asigble, across the political divide who passed away recently.

Interjected with banters from some members of the House, mostly from the Minority side, President Mills equally threw and interspersed his address with humour and jokes that cooled what could have been an address characterized by tension.

"One year after our election, I'm proud to stand before you and say with confidence -'The State of the Nation is good . and I can confidently say `So Far, Much Better.`"

President Mills, however, said there was still a huge amount of work to be done, and assured the nation that he and his team were fully committed to the election promises of ensuring a Better Ghana.

President Mills touched on changes introduced by his Administration, including consciously developing an atmosphere where criticisms were not seen as 'enemy action' but rather as genuine alternative views. "I am even more pleased that our NDC members feel just as free to criticize their own Government as the Opposition members do," President Mills said, adding "It is my fervent hope that this atmosphere of unfettered free speech will be enjoyed responsibly and received openly with respect among Ghanaians of all political loyalties."

President Mills reminded Ghanaians that the Government had a four-year mandate, and that his Administration would strive "to take the right decision rather than quick decisions" so that at the end of the four-year mandate, Ghanaians would judge the Government and its achievements.