Reflections on the State of the Nation Address

President Mahama’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on Thursday, February 27, 2025, was significant, touching many areas as required by Ghana’s Constitution.

He began by praising Parliament for quickly vetting and approving his ministerial nominees, calling it an unprecedented achievement in Ghana’s Fourth Republic.

He expressed genuine gratitude, emphasising that such cooperation between the executive and legislature was crucial for effective governance.

However, the President shifted tone when discussing the issue of ministerial downsizing.

Mr Mahama defended his decision to cut the number of ministers and deputy ministers to 60, stating it was a strategic move to reduce costs and improve government efficiency.

He encouraged future governments to follow suit, claiming that a leaner government would better serve the nation.

Nonetheless, this decision faced criticism; opponents noted that while the number of ministers decreased, Mr Mahama had paradoxically increased the number of presidential staffers, raising doubts about his true intentions behind the cuts.

Economic situation

As President Mahama continued, he deviated from the previous tone of his administration, moving away from a narrative that refrained from blaming past governments for current hardships. Now, he openly connected the woes of the nation to the records left by the previous government.

Painting a gloomy picture of the economic situation, he declared, “The state of our nation isn’t good; the economy is in crisis.”

He backed his assertion with alarming figures — the Sinking Fund reportedly holds a paltry $64,000 in its dollar account and GH¢143m in its Cedi account.

In contrast, he projected that Ghana’s debt servicing would reach a staggering total of GH¢280 billion over the next four years, comprising GH¢ 150 billion for domestic debt and GH¢130 billion for external debt servicing. It is significant to state that former Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam has criticised the President’s assessment of the economy’s performance based on debts as intellectual dishonesty.

President Mahama did not stop at the Sinking Fund. He brought to light the fact that $400 million had been spent on the Agenda 111 health projects, yet not a single hospital from this initiative was operational at present.

This revelation has sparked debates, particularly as former Presidential Advisor on Health Dr Nsiah-Asare has contested Mr Mahama's narrative, indicating that the situation was not as straightforward as the President depicted.

The discourse around this subject mirrors the expected public debate on the Agenda 111 projects.

Yet, echoing a desire for constructive dialogue, Mr Mahama asserted, “I focus on solutions, not blames.” He used his previous tenure as a benchmark, asserting that he had successfully resolved Ghana’s power outages (“dumsor”) before leaving office on January 7, 2017.

Mr Mahama expressed confidence that he would bring the same determination to addressing Ghana’s economic crisis.

Education/Gender equity

In the realm of education, President Mahama stated that he would not abolish the Free-SHS programme. He pledged not only to maintain this critical policy but to enhance it.

Key initiatives include his ‘Zero to Hero’ plan aimed at elevating basic education standards, extending free tertiary education to persons with disabilities, and granting a 20 per cent allowance for teachers working in rural areas.

Here, he introduced a vision that seemed to shine light on the path towards educational reform, seeking to ensure that every Ghanaian child had access to quality learning opportunities.

Turning to gender representation, Mr Mahama noted that women comprised 23.21 per cent of appointments in his administration.

However, this statistic was met with immediate pushback from his opponents, particularly from the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

He swiftly criticised President Mahama for not including several experienced female NDC leaders in his cabinet, notably mentioning Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Hajia Laadi Ayamba, and Helen Adjoa Ntoso. Afenyo-Markin challenged Mahama’s commitment to gender equity, pointing out that out of a 19-member cabinet, only two positions were held by women.

Corruption/Critics

Moreover, Mr Mahama's speech offered guarantees of openness and responsibility in all government dealings, especially when it came to spending on national sports teams.

He also addressed the issue of corruption, stating that the "operation recover all loot" initiative had uncovered significant sums of ‘stolen money’ which the Attorney General would begin the process of recovering. Meanwhile, his government would take steps to reduce corruption.  

Critics noted that President Mahama's address was filled with ambitious initiatives but lacked specifics on costs and funding sources.

However, as the Minister of Finance is expected to present the President's Budget Statement to Parliament soon after the SONA, many hoped this would clarify the fiscal plans for these goals.

In conclusion, President Mahama's address reflected both hope and challenge. He praised parliamentary cooperation, diagnosed the economic crisis, outlined governance reforms, and pledged to enhance education.

However, questions about accountability, gender equity and fiscal efficiency remained crucial.

As Ghana stood at a crossroads, the President's proposed solutions needed to align with both the intentions shared and the realities faced by Ghanaians.

The writer is a Political Scientist