In President Akufo-Addo’s
address to the nation on the dissolution of the 7th Parliament, he stated that
his four years in office as President of the Republic has witnessed many
moments of great satisfaction, frustration and some moments of disappointment.
According to the President, the
outcome of the circumstances in the past four years in his administration is
not surprising as he did not expect that everything that his government tries
to do would have universal acceptance.
“These past four years, it has been a joy and a great privilege to
serve our nation as President. They were many moments of great satisfaction,
some moments of frustration and some moments of disappointment. That is not
saying anything special, that is life, and I did not expect that everything
that government tries to do would have universal acceptance,” he stated.
He stressed that just as the
country’s economy was about to shoot higher, the unexpected struck and the
world was literally changed overnight with the arrival of the COVID-19
pandemic, shaking the economies and public health systems including some of the
wealthiest and most developed countries to their knees.
The unexpected struck and our
world was literally changed overnight with the arrival of the Covid-19
pandemic. This pandemic has shaken the economies and public health systems the
world over and brought even some of the wealthiest and most developed countries
to their knees.
“At the end of 2019, the economy was characterised by strong
growth in response to the implementation of government flagship programs,
single-digit inflation, reduced fiscal deficits with three consecutive years of
primary surpluses, relatively stable exchange reserve buffers, and markedly
reduced lending rates,” he
stated.
“The global pandemic of COVID-19 threatened to derail the progress
chalked over the first three years of my administration. Its impact has led to
the revision in GDP growth for 2020, from 6.8% to 0.9% and later to 1.9% to
reflect a significant slowdown in economic activities as a consequence of the
effects of COVID-19 on lives and livelihoods,” he stressed.
Commenting on the strategy of his government to fight the
COVID-19, President Akufo-Addo said that the first priority in fighting the
pandemic has been and will continue to be the health and safety of Ghanaians.
In view of the government’s
priority, President Akufo-Addo stated that they pioneered lifesaving
innovations that the World Health Organization (WHO) has since sought to
replicate elsewhere.
To him, the success in fighting
the COVID-19, thus far, is a testament to the tireless work of Ghanaian
researchers, scientists, advisors, public health management, frontline health
workers, hospital staff, contact tracers and so many others who have dedicated
themselves to the fight to keep Ghanaians safe.
“Our success, thus far, is a testament to the tireless work of our
researchers, scientists, advisors, public health management, frontline health
workers, hospital staff, contact tracers and so many others who have dedicated
themselves to the fight to keep Ghanaians safe. Our nation is deeply indebted
to them”.
“Throughout the period, I have tried to keep the Ghanaian people
informed with the regular broadcast so we all know what is going on. This led
to the phrase ‘fellow Ghanaians’ attaining a new status as Ghanaians brought
their famed ingenuity to find relief in the doom of the devastation being
wreaked by the pandemic”.
“Our artists and designers have brought their expertise to bring
unexpected relief. We are wearing the “Fellow Ghanaians” and “This Too Shall
Pass” fabric with pride and the knowledge that we are able to find something
positive out of the darkest events,” he
stated.
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