President John Mahama is expected to present his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament today.
The event is expected to take place at 10:00am. It will be attended by Parliamentarians, ministers of States, members of the diplomatic corps and specially invited guests.
The State of the Nation address is an annual address to Parliament given by the President of the republic of Ghana covering economic, social, and financial state of the country according to Article 67 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.
President Mahama’s address is expected to reflect the state of the country in the past one year, and policies and programmes initiated to address challenges in the various sectors of the economy.
Many Ghanaians have expressed their expectations of issues that should be addressed by the President in this year’s SONA, key among them are a vibrant urban transport system, job creation, reliable electricity supply and food security.
Similarly, Organised Labour has outlined key expectations ahead of President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), urging him to prioritise job creation, food security, affordable housing and pension sustainability.
At a media engagement on February 26, labour leaders expressed concern about rising unemployment, particularly among Ghana’s youth, and called on the President to announce clear, measurable strategies to tackle the challenge.
Secretary-General of the (TUC),Mr Joshua Ansah, stressed the need for specific commitments rather than broad assurances.
“As a union leader, I will go for job creation and a good labour law review that governs our labour issues. The President has spoken about the creation of jobs, but we want him to state the areas where these jobs will be created so that we can also monitor and give our commentary,” he said.
He pointed to the cocoa sector as a major opportunity for employment generation.
“For example, processing 50 percent of cocoa locally is a key factor in the creation of jobs. But I want to stress decent employment for workers in the cocoa sector, which we want President Mahama to say something about,” Mr. Ansah added.
Beyond employment, Organised Labour is also pushing for policies that address the rising cost of living, particularly access to food and shelter, as well as reforms to strengthen pensions.
The General Secretary of the (GNAT), Mr Tanko Musah, underscored the urgency of improving basic living conditions for Ghanaian workers.
“I am looking at the basic necessities of life through the reset agenda — how the Ghanaian worker will be okay. We have recently heard about the healthcare sector where somebody died, so the time to address the basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing must be done now,” he stated.
On education, Mr. Musah called for increased investment to address persistent challenges in the sector.
“On education, we want the President to consider investment to address challenges in the sector,” he said.
Organised Labour insists that this year’s address must deliver concrete, actionable solutions that will ease economic pressures and restore confidence among Ghanaian
