SONA 2020: German Ambassador to Ghana reacts to Minority’s boycott
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Christoph Retzlaff, has reacted to the decision by the Minority in Parliament to boycott President Nana Akufo-Addo’s State of the Nation Address.
The diplomat took to Twitter to solicit the views of his followers on the action of the opposition MPs.
“NDC opposition party leaving Parliament before President ‘s State of Nation speech. What’s your opinion on that?” he tweeted.
NDC opposition party leaving Parliament before President‘s State of Nation speech. What’s your opinion on that?#SONA2020 pic.twitter.com/Je8YXrOyfE
— Christoph Retzlaff (@GermanAmbGhana) February 20, 2020
The Minority in Parliament lived up to its word to boycott Mr Akufo-Addo’s State of the Nation Address if the government failed to pay their share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF).
The Minority MPs, dressed in black, stunned the nation when they filed out the moment the police band finished rendering the national anthem.
The opposition MPs launched into a verse in the anthem “… and help us resist the oppressors’ rule” while walking out and the Majority side clapped them off with “away, away….”
It is not the first time this is happening.
In 2013, the then minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) boycotted the State of the Nation Address delivered by President John Dramani Mahama.
Their action was in line with their position not to engage in any activity that would appear to give legitimacy to Mr Mahama’s presidency until the Supreme Court ruled on the petition brought before it challenging the results of the 2012 presidential election.
Supporters of the NDC and the NPP also posted their comments.
NDC opposition party leaving Parliament before President‘s State of Nation speech. What’s your opinion on that?#SONA2020 pic.twitter.com/Je8YXrOyfE
— Christoph Retzlaff (@GermanAmbGhana) February 20, 2020
It’s a legitimate protest against the government’s refusal to resolve the closure of the Radio stations since 2018 #GalamSONA
— Dzifa GUNU (@DzifaGUNU) February 20, 2020
Dzifa I don’t think you live Ghana. Justifying boycott with radio good closure is myopic. Ghana is bigger than radio gold. And if educated people cannot think of options to resolve problems than walkouts before dignitaries then we have serious problems at hand. Critical thinking deficiency.