Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, has commended former President John Dramani Mahama for gracing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s presentation of the 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The Majority Leader gave the commendation in his remarks at the end of the debate on the Motion to thank the President for the SONA, which he presented to the House on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

The SONA is a requirement of Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the President started off the SONA in acknowledging the presence of distinguished personalities among whom this time were the former Presidents: John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama.

The Majority Leader said in 2021 after the 2020 General Election, former President Mahama did not respond to the invitation to attend the presentation of the Message on the State of the Nation.

“The former President was again absent from last year’s event, and I lamented his absence and stated unequivocally that it was not a good account of the immediate past President.” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.

“I insisted that it was not good for the unity of the country regardless of our political differences.

“It is the reason why the sheer presence of former President Mahama must be commended this time.”

He noted that the spirit of togetherness as a people; as a country must be predominant wherever and in whatever Ghanaians do.

He noted that thus far former President Mahama had attended only two of the six events involving the delivery of the message on the State of the Nation delivered by President Akufo-Addo.

“By any reckoning, it is not a good mark, but one can only hope that at least an account of the hilarious welcome accorded him by the Minority Group, the former President would be inspired to attend subsequent events in his capacity as a former President of the Republic,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated.