Minority boycotts 2020 State of the Nation Address

Members of the minority side of parliament on Thursday boycotted the State of the Nation Address as they staged a walkout.

The side which earlier announced they will be boycotting the sitting made their way out just as the national anthem ended.

They moved out repeating a part of the anthem that says 'and help us to resist oppressors rule with all our will and might forever more'.

Members of the majority side sent off their colleagues with chants of 'away' as well as 'bye bye'.

The members of the minority side earlier expressed frustration about the delay of their share of the Common Fund for the third quarter of 2019, as they say it is delaying the execution of projects in their constituencies.

The opposition National Democratic Congress MPs last week resolved to boycott the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

For the Minority in Parliament, the delay is a deliberate attempt to deprive them of working effectively and consequently competing fairly with their opponents, especially when the general election is some months away.

This year’s State of the Nation Address is Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s fourth and last in his first term as president of the republic.

His address is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.

The address is to update Ghanaians on the government’s progress and outline plans for the next financial year.

The president’s speech covered, in broad terms, areas such as the economy, education, health, security and infrastructure.