5 hours ago
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It was a contrast of colours – black and white – when Parliament sat yesterday to hear the address on the state of the nation.
President John Dramani Mahama, in fulfillment of Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution, had come to the House to deliver the message on the state of the nation.
On the back of an overwhelming victory at the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary polls, the majority side, covering two-thirds of the hallow chamber of Parliament, was a sea of white as they turned out in their numbers to receive President Mahama to execute the constitutional exercise.
The minority side, on the other hand, were in various shades of black to participate in the sitting of the day.
•Majority MPs in parliament in all white outfit
The black was on the back of their demand on the President to reverse the revocation of appointments made by the previous government.
•Minority MPs in parliament in all black outfit
The SONA was billed to commence at 10 a.m., and the legislators started filtering into the chamber of the House by 9a.m. in readiness for the business of the day.
First, it was the NDC majority caucus who took their seats before their colleagues started filtering in one after the other.
As they awaited the arrival of the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the MPs were seen chit-chatting to while away time.
At about 10:10 a.m., the mace led the Speaker, adorned in a traditional kente cloth, to the chamber.
President Mahama and his vice, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, arrived to a grandeur security guard and were received by the Speaker and the Majority and Minority leaders.
Wearing a hand-stitched brownish smock, the President, together with his vice, were welcomed to the chamber with a fontonfrom drum.
Seated in the public gallery were members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, security heads, political party representatives, and representatives of civil society organisations among other personalities.
Largely, the President’s address was smooth as it was met with minimal heckling.
At the end of his address after about two hours, the chamber turned into a singing arena, as the majority side of the House sang songs of praise and the minority songs of condemnation, both with regard to the President’s message.
