…Gears up for SoNA as Ato’s first Budget Nears Ready
A total of 19 ministers have been put together as members of cabinet for President John Dramani Mahama, with the first meeting held yesterday Thursday February 20, 2025.
The ministers are Finance, Food and Agriculture, Defence, Interior, Women, Children and Social Protection, Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Environment, Science and Technology, Health, Transport, Labour, Jobs and Employment.
Others are Communication, Digital Technology, Energy and Green Transition, Lands and Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, Local Government Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Roads and Highways, Education and Works, Housing and Water Resources.
The first meeting which bought together all the aforementioned ministers including security chiefs, was used to brief the President on the general security situation in the country.
Ministers, Interior Mohammed Muntaka, Defence Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah and national security coordinator DCOP Abdul Osman Razak assured Mahama the country was safe and the readiness of the agencies to handle any unexpected emergency from both internal and external enemy.
The Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, who is expected to present the first budget of the president in March, made a presentation of what the state of the economy is.
The Member of Parliament (MP) Ejumako Enyan Essiam constituency, revealed that the situation is more severe than envisaged in the run up to the December 7 election.
However, he assured that despite the gloomy financial outlook, the government remains confident in its proposals for economic recovery.
The president was also updated on key campaign initiatives and promises including his flagship 24-hour economy programme. Presidential Adviser on the 24-hour economy, Goosie Tanoh, informed the Cabinet that preparations for the full rollout were progressing smoothly.
Minister for Government Communication Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who briefed the media said the Secretariat of the programme in the coming weeks will come out to update the public on where they are.
Meanwhile, President Mahama is expected to address Parliament for his first State of the Nation Address (SoNA) next week.
The address, in fulfillment of Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution will provide a candid assessment of Ghana’s economic realities and outline the current administration’s strategy for national development.
“In a few days’ time, President Mahama will address Parliament and deliver a message on the State of the Nation.” Ofosu Kwakye said.
During a meeting with Organized Labour on Thursday to discuss the base pay for the year, the President gave a hint of what is likely to be contained in his yet to be presented SoNA as far as the economy is concerned.
“Ghana is a crime scene, actually. How a government could have been so reckless, I cannot understand”, he told Labour indicating why they could not secure increment more than 10 percent.
According to him, even though he, just like many Ghanaians, knew about how the economy was destroyed, what he is hearing and finding out now is worse than what had been assumed.
In a related development, a section of the general public has lauded the president for the transparent manner in which he has conducted himself so far.
The impressed public, expressed pleasant surprise after seeing photographs from his first cabinet meeting coupled with how maturely he has handled certain issues to the extent of sitting in meeting with Labour to plead with them to bear with his administration and promising to give them a better increment when the economy bounces back.
Many, who appear to be very young said it was the first time they were seeing a picture of a Ghanaian president, and his ministers, in a meeting, urging him to continue to set good precedent.