President Mills gets gargantuan heckling in Parliament

President John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday delivered the State of the Nation address in fulfilment of a constitutional requirement, but noted that he was given “a gargantuan heckling” by members of the Minority side.

It was the first time the President has publicly uttered the word, since a former Attorney General penned it in connection with what has become known as the “Woyome Affair”.

“Car grand tu es” a French expression of gargantuan has been used in the French novel Candide by the Philosopher Voltaire, referring to how grand something is.

Some few minutes after 1000 hours the President wearing a suit over a navy blue shirt with a wine coloured tie, was ushered into the Chamber of Parliament amidst fontonfrom drums and other fanfare.

As expected, the packed House stood up to acknowledge the foremost Gentleman of the land.

The First Deputy Speaker Doe Adjaho, was in Kente over jumper and native sandals

(Ahenemma) to match, and Professor Mike Ocquaye, Second Deputy Speaker was in suit. But members of the largest Minority New Patriotic Party were in mourning clothes.

The almost 60- minute policy address of the President was preceded by the National anthem rendered by the Ghana Police Band, dressed in their ceremonial blue uniform.

The heckled President stayed focussed and managed to give an overview of the State of the Nation, which spanned the national economy, education, job creation, human resource training and development, agriculture, water, energy and the Single Spine Pay Policy.

He also talked on Special Development Areas, health, security, governance, youth and sports among other interventions.

The Head of State said Ghana’s economy is full of promise, and the State is stable and in reasonably good health, although there is a lot of work to be done.

The Government is “still building a better Ghana!”

Touching on the Black Stars performance at the just ended African Football Federation tournament, co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon President Mills said the Premier National team should reclaim their glory.

On a lighter note, he offered Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Works and Housing and former player of Accra Hearts of Oak, an additional job to train the Black Stars in penalty shoot out,

Ghana needs to maintain peace in Election 2012, President Mill emphasised and called on both the Majority and Minority and other stakeholders to make that possible.

His call was characteristic of his demeanour often referred to by his admirers as Asomdwoehen (Prince of Peace).

Putting the gargantuan heckling aside, the smiling President exchanged pleasantries with both side of the House and left to attend to other matters of the State, giving the parliamentarians time to digest the full relevance of the National Address.

by Benjamin Mensah