SONA 24: Akufo-Addo’s silence on Corruption and Unemployment Worrying – Hon Hottordze

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The Member of Parliament for Central Tongu, Hon Alexander Hottordze, has criticised President Nana Akufo-Addo for failing to touch on unemployment issues during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, yesterday.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address on February 27, 2024, President Nana Akufo-Addo said, among other things, that his government has fulfilled its pledge of settling the last coupons owed bondholders who signed up to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

The President said the government would ensure that the Electoral Commission (EC) will organise a free and fair elections in the 2024 elections, and also pledged to do whatever he can to fix the country’s economic crisis.

But speaking EXPRESSNEWSGHANA, the Central Tongu MP, wondered why president Akufo-Addo did not talk about the unemployment rate in the country which has become a national security threat.

He said Ghana’s unemployment rate had swelled to over 14% which he admitted was very critical going into election 2024 yet the president, who was voted for in 2016 by the youth for promising to create more jobs for them, rather failed to address the concerns of the youth.

“Yesterday I listened to the president address the nation but not once did he mention the word ‘unemployment’ or ‘corruption’… This is worrying because the youth constitute the greater part of the population of the country and must work to put body and soul together,” Hon Hottordze said.

In his considered view, Akufo-Addo has failed the masses because he has not been able to fulfil the promises he made in the 2016 and 2020 electioneering.

He however called on Ghanaians to trust the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama and his policies which have the tendency to transform the economy at a faster pace when voted to power.

The Legislator contended that Mr Mahama had been in power before and has had the opportunity to witness the governance of the NPP and Akufo-Addo for the past seven years, stressing that the former president, who has listened to the challenges of Ghanaians on his numerous tours of the country, will deliver on his promises unlike what the country is currently witnessing.

Touching on the performance tracker President Akufo-Addo mentioned, Hottordze said it was too late to defend the government because of the NPP’s malperformance.

“It is not necessary because they have not performed to the standard they set for themselves. Our performance when in power is always felt. The projects of the NDC were put in a green book to account to the country and the projects, although were tagged photoshop by the NPP, could be seen all over, including the Legon medical Centre,” the MP contended while asking Ghanaians to trust the NDC policies.

He described the entire SONA as an empty and hopeless statement.