The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, is all set to deliver the 2024 edition of his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament tomorrow, Tuesday February 27, 2024, by 9 o’clock in the forenoon.
SONA is delivered to Parliament by the incumbent President in the early parts of every year in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.
Tomorrow’s Address would be the very last SONA to be delivered by President Akufo-Addo and his term expires by January 7, next year after which whoever succeeds him would be the person to deliver the next SONA.
The address by the President is expected to give an insight into various aspects of the country’s economy including the current financial standing, security, education, agriculture and health.
Generally it gives an account of what developments have gone in the sectors of infrastructure with emphasis on communications and digitalization technology, roads and railways networks and the oil industry.
It is also expected to highlight government’s key policy directives for the year.
It is usually a rather lengthy address which is read out by the President for a period between an hour and a half and two hours.
SONA is a key highlight on Parliamentary calendar and often attracts a huge public interest and attention.
By practice, a motion to thank the President SONA would be moved and then seconded in the Chamber before the contents of the Address gets debated by Members of Parliament for a couple of days.
Such debates of SONA have over the years been laced with political partisan biases and slants.
Members of Parliament (MPs), the Speaker and the Judiciary are all obliged by the Constitution to receive the President’s SONA.
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Parliament has already advertised the expected arrival and address by the President and urged MPs to be present and on time.
A couple of weeks back, the then Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, announced on the Chamber that the 2024 SONA is scheduled for Tuesday February 27, 2024 which falls tomorrow.
“Mr. Speaker in accordance with Article 67 of the Constitution, H.E the President will deliver to the house a message on the State of the Nation on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Honourable Members are entreated to avail themselves for the task ahead”, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated in Parliament.
