Rescheduling of State of the Nation address due to challenges – Parliament

The rescheduling of President John Mahama’s final State of the Nation address to Thursday January 5, 2017 was due to challenges, the acting Public Affairs Director of Parliament, Kate Addo has explained.

“The leadership has to take the decision due to some challenges that we are trying to resolve and as soon as that is cleared, we will inform the general public on the new date. It is not a cancellation as being reported, it is a constitutional mandate so it must be done,” she said in an interview Tuesday on Onua FM.

Mahama was expected to deliver his final State of the Nation Address on Thursday 22 December, 2016 but was moved to January 5, 2017, StarrFMonline.com has gathered.

According to information available to StarrFMonline.com, the postponement of the address was at the behest of Mahama.

The delivery of the state of the nation address is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution which states in part that: “The president shall at the beginning of each session of Parliament and before a dissolution of Parliament, deliver a message on the state of the nation”.

Several media platforms wrongly reported on Tuesday that the President’s final address had been canceled.

The President’s final address to the nation will take place two days before the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on Saturday, January 7, 2017.