Editorial
SONA well-delivered
Dear Editor,
President Akufo-Addo’s State of the Nation Address delivered on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 was, by far, one of the most succinct and ‘peaceful’ presentations I have witnessed in the last four years.
First, it was a departure from the ‘three-hour rhetoric’ which is typical of such national statements. The entire presentation lasted for about an hour and 20 minutes, allowing the parliamentarians and guests to quickly jump to other external businesses.
Parliamentarians on both sides of the House, maintained a good composure throughout the presentation in spite of simmering discontent of the Minority over the passage of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) Bill.
Some observers thought the ‘heckling-free’ atmosphere on the day was as a result of fruitful back-room conversation among the leadership of the House, prior to the President’s speech.
As factual or otherwise that it may be, I believe the President’s body language, choice of words and the victory of the Black Stars ahead of the address contributed to the order that prevailed on the floor of the August House.
As Speaker Alban Bagbin, expressed himself eloquently in his opening statement on the floor last Wednesday, citizens would continue to look up to the leadership and members of parliament, hence the need to lead by example.
This position cannot be overemphasised and I wish to encourage the House to maintain the same level of sanctity exhibited during the State of the Nation Address, as they take up future businesses on the floor in the interest of citizens and the nation.
Meanwhile, I would appeal to parliament to agree and accept a convention stipulating that future State of the Nation Addresses should not go beyond two hours, irrespective of what party is in power.
Fred Asamoah Antwi
Laterbiokorshie, Accra.
Dear Editor
I wish to use your esteemed platform to welcome Mr Carlos Queiroz, our new coach for our senior national male football team, the Black Stars.
We have read a lot about him and I think looking at his CV, he represents our biggest ‘catch’ in this business.
When his name came up initially, some of us doubted whether we could land him considering our scarce resources.
A coach with experiences with Real Madrid, Manchester United at club sides and national team romance with South Africa and Iran speaks volumes of what he brings to the table.
However, we must not forget that CVs don’t play football. Football is played on the pitch and it is therefore the reason why the noise about his arrival must end and watch out for what he brings to the table.
Currently, we don’t have players we could call world class. Those that comes near that label like Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu are injured.
The only player making waves in Europe at the moment is Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City.
Carlos Queiroz is not coming as a magician. He would need players who are committed and very good enough. At this moment, we should be praying and supporting him to get the best out of our players.
Directly, I want to appeal to him to take a serious look at the players in individually and access their qualities before bringing them on board.
Some of the players are very good but have just failed or struggled to perform in the Black Stars jersey. One of his task must be to break that ice.
We need nothing bust the best for the World Cup. As Ghanaians let’s support Queiroz to get the best out of the players available.
Andy Muller,
Accra
Dear Editor,
The visit of the president, John Dramani Mahama to the construction site of the La General Hospital was one that provided hope for Ghanaians, especially those within the La and Osu areas.
The project was started under the previous administration but grinded to a halt. Several demonstrations were carried out in a bid to get government to speed up work on the facility.
When this new government took over, that cloud of uncertainty persisted owing to how projects started by a particular government were abandoned by incumbents.
But we have seen something different this time. The government of John Dramani Mahama has shown commitment to complete the project.
The crowd that gathered on his inspection of works on the project clearly speaks of how important the project is for them.
It is my prayer they speed up work on the facility and complete it on time for the people to travel shorter distance to access healthcare.
Atswei Rosalind,
La
