President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared the first year of his second term as the “Year of Roads” which will see massive construction of road infrastructure across the country.
Delivering his inaugural speech after he was sworn in to begin his second-year term, President Akufo-Addo said “this year will be the second ‘Year of Roads’, as we continue with our focus on dealing with the deficit in our road infrastructure.”
The President said, “Our roads are being constructed at a much faster pace than before but acknowledged that there are still many more kilometres to construct.
He said the development of the country’s rail sector, on which considerable resources and energies have been devoted, will open up the country and lead to the creation of a more connected society that will help realise the goal of regional and continental integration.
President Akufo-Addo said establishing a strong economy which is undergoing a structural transformation to value-added activities that will generate jobs for the country’s youth and enhance their living standards, will be the “main preoccupation of my second term.”
Touching on the state of the country’s economy, President Akufo-Addo said, “Today, our economy, even in the face of the global pandemic of COVID-19, continues to show resilience and a much faster rate of recovery than originally envisaged.”
Ghana, he said, was one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in 2020 and “Ghana remains one of the most attractive destinations on the continent for foreign direct investment, with the presence in the country of some of the world’s largest conglomerates…”
President Akufo-Addo said the privilege to serve again as President is a demonstration of the confidence and trust Ghanaians have reposed in him not only in appreciation for the achievements chalked throughout his first four years, “but more significantly for the considerable amount of work that is to be done over the next four years to drive the nation firmly onto the path of progress, prosperity and development, following the havoc wreaked by COVID-19.
“This is a task I wholeheartedly accept and I assure all Ghanaians that I will do my utmost to deliver on this mandate,” he stated.
President Akufo-Addo extended his heartfelt gratitude to their Excellencies, the distinguished leaders of sister states from west Africa and the sub-region, as well as to eminent representatives from other friendly nations and international organisations, who gathered here in Accra, capital of Ghana, to witness the inauguration ceremony.
“I thank each and every one of you for being present at this inauguration of my second mandate, COVID-19 notwithstanding. Your attendance is an expression of solidarity and friendship that speaks volumes of your attachment to the goals and aspirations of Ghanaians for which, we are very grateful,” the president said.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
