By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Feb. 27, GNA – Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, has praised President John Dramani Mahama for his steady performance since the assumption of office.
Commenting on the State of the Nations Address (SONA) delivered by the President to Parliament on Friday, he said, “Mr Speaker, it is obvious that the Ghana you inherited and the Ghana we see today are like day and night. The Ghana you inherited is as dark as the dark dresses they are wearing on the other side, and the Ghana you speak of today is clearly as bright as the white dresses we are wearing on this side.”
“Highlighting cocoa pricing, the Majority Leader referenced a Reuters report for Friday, February 27: “Mr Speaker, Ivory Coast will pay cocoa farmers 800 and 1,000 CFA francs per kilogram starting March 1.”
“The main crop price was 2,800 CFA francs per kilogram; when converted to Ghanaian cedis, this is about nine hundred and eighty to one thousand two hundred and twenty-five per 64 kilograms.
“In Ghana, farmers are paid GH¢2,587 per 64 kilograms, which is more than twice the price in Ivory Coast. This is confirmed this morning by Reuters,” he told Parliament.
Mr Ayariga, also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, assured the President of all Muslims in Ghana praying for Allah’s blessings during the Ramadan for him and his sterling leadership.
“Ghanaians are proud of you. This Ramadan, many of our people could afford sugar and rice because prices have come down,” he said. SONA is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.
The Address, which is a constitutional requirement, provides the President with the opportunity to outline the government’s policy direction, review national progress, and highlight key challenges confronting the country.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo