President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at his re-inauguration following his re-election last December, has pledged to unify the nation for economic and social prosperity.
In an address, the President rallied the country to get unified for hard work and industry, to place the nation on the path of progress, prosperity and development in the face of the consequences wrought by the Coronavirus pandemic.
At the brief but colourful ceremony at the conference tent at the precincts of Parliament that became the chamber of the House, the President was sworn in by Chief Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah, before a number of dignitaries including leaders of a number of African countries.
He took the Presidential Oath and the Oath of Allegiance. His Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also took the Oath of Vice President and the Oath of Allegiance.
President Akufo-Addo pledged not to undermine the confidence the Ghanaian people had placed in him for the next four years, saying, “This is a task I wholeheartedly accept, and I assure all Ghanaians that I will do my utmost to deliver on this mandate.”
He reminisced Ghana’s journey to freedom, justice and development, and stressed that they could only take place on the maturity of democratic structures and governance.
“The Ghanaian people have manifested, time and again, in these twenty-eight (28) years of the 4th Republic, their determination to build a free, democratic, peaceful nation, which is respectful of individual liberties and human rights, the rule of law, and the principles of democratic accountability.
“A governance structure built on the separation of powers provides the best vehicle for the protection of these values, with a well-resourced Judiciary and Parliament as the principal accountability organs of the State.
This has been the main thrust of public policy in these past four years, and will continue to be so in the next. The unity and stability of our country are the welcome outcomes of such a development,” he stated.
The President said the victory at the last December’s election was demonstration of the confidence Ghanaians had in him, pledging to work more to improve upon the gains chalked in the last four years.
He commended the can-do-spirit of Ghanaians, saying it provided “a bedrock on which we can build the Ghana of our dreams,” repeating his call on all Ghanaians to actively get involved to build a prosperous and united Ghana envisioned by the founding fathers of the nation.
“In my first term as President, I was able to count on the contribution of all citizens in attempting to create this Ghana.
“What I have seen these last four years is further evidence, if any were needed, that the Ghanaian will no longer accept poverty and deprivation as his or her portion, but is rather determined to work to chart a path of growth and development for himself or herself.
“Today, our economy, even in the face of the global pandemic of COVID-19, continues to show resilience and a much faster rate of recovery than originally envisaged, and was, indeed, one of the fastest growing economies in the world in 2020,” he noted.
President Akufo-Addo said he would continue to pursue strong economic indicators for foreign direct investments, the agenda for structural transformation, and value addition to generate jobs for the teeming youth to enhance living standards.
“I pledge before this august House and the good people of Ghana that all I do will be for the common good, and, with the firm foundation laid in my first term of office, we shall take a significant step towards reducing the infrastructure deficit that has plagued us all throughout our nationhood, ” he said.
The President urged investors to make Ghana a preferred investment destination to locate more factories in the country, as some of the world’s largest conglomerates were attesting to the fact of better investment yields.
He renewed his commit to address the infrastructural deficits in the country, promising that the year of roads would continue, in addition to that of the rail sector, and also promised to ensure that the remaining 15 per cent of communities without electricity would be covered by the end of his second term.
President Akufo-Addo underscored the importance of state institutions, including parliament, in nation building, and assured the Speaker, Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin, of constant and effective collaboration to enhance the governance of the country.
“Together, you and I will be chartering new territory in the governance and politics of the 4th Republic, for this is the first time in the life of this Republic that a President from one party will be obliged, by the exigencies of the moment and the will of the people, to work, in all sincerity and co-operation, with a Speaker of Parliament from another party.
“I am confident that both of us will be guided in our relationship by the supreme interest of our people in ensuring good governance in the ordering of the affairs of state. I want to assure you of my wholehearted determination to work with you to advance the peace, progress and prosperity of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
Speaker Bagbin also pledged Parliaments’ readiness to work with the Executive, as he commended the President on his re-election.
President Alpha Conde of Guinea, on behalf of leaders from African countries, commended the President on his election, promising that they would all work to advance the interest of the African nations to enhance of the lives of their people.
GNA
