By Frank Amponsah
The Council of State has commended the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for achieving some important milestones, among which are the reopening of the Obuasi Mines, the restoration of peace in Dagbon and the installation of a new Ya-Na; as well as the creation and inauguration of six new regions and the appointment of Regional Ministers and their Deputies.
Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II said this when the Council met the President for the first time this year yesterday at the Jubilee House in Accra.
He said “On these important achievements. Mr. President, the Council says: Ayekoo! Well done!”
Their meeting with the President also coincided with the second anniversary of this Council of State, which the President sworn into office on February 27. 2017.
Nana Otuo Siriboe II said “Mr. President, being our first meeting of the year and considering the number of important things which have transpired since our last meeting on August 8, 2018, let me take this opportunity to congratulate Your Excellency on the historic achievements you and your Government have made especially since the beginning of the year, 2019, in fulfillment of electoral promises you made in 2016.”
Touching on the activities of the Council over the past year, Nana Otuo Siriboe II submitted that when the Council issued their report last year covering the Council’s activities during its first year in office, the Council has held 57 meetings in both Plenary and Sub-Committee sessions at which important appointments were considered.
He said the Council met with various institutions and personalities; received petitions and deliberated on them.
He averred that in addition Boards, Councils, Authorities and Committees the Council has examined and reported on some very important appointments it has considered are the positions of Electoral Commissioner and two Deputies, Four Supreme Court Judges, Institutions and Personalities Met and that he Council, in the course of the year, held meetings with some Government Ministers, Officials of some State institutions and other important personalities including officials of the Lands Commission, Inter-Ministerial Commitee on illegal Mining (IMCIM), Speaker and Leadership of Parliament, Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BOG), National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Minister of Education, his Deputy and Senior Officials of the Ministry, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Minister for Trade and Industry and some officials of the Ministry.
According to him the Council also met with Chief Executive and Senior Management of COCOBOD, and the Minister of Finance, Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA).
Presenting that Second Annual Report of the Council, he noted that current issues which have engaged the Council’s attention and are under its active consideration; and on which it wishes to dialogue with the President are the results of a series of meetings held with relevant stakeholders over the following High rates of duties, levies and taxes on imported goods at Ghana’s ports of entry, the large volumes of tax exemptions.
He mentioned that the findings from their engagements with key stakeholders emerged with conclusions and recommendations which the Council would discussed with the President in a closed door session.
