State of the Nation Address

President Mills will deliver a State of the Nation's Address to Parliament later on this morning. I will post a copy (or link to) the full text when it becomes available. For now though, here's what you can expect according to the Daily Graphic:

The fight against the drug menace, efforts to improve on education and health as well job-creation and governance will feature prominently, in the address.

There are strong indications that key drug cases in the past will be reviewed and measures taken to discourage the country being used as a subsidiary for drug trade and a sanctuary for the drug barons.

This year's address, which is the third to be delivered by President John Evans Atta Mills, would encompass all the ingredients of the better Ghana agenda, a highly government source told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday on what he thought would be the dominant features of the President's address.

The source said although the address would reflect all aspects of the "action year" as declared by the President, priority attention would be placed on sensitive areas such as security, agriculture, youth employment, job-creation, education and housing.

On education, the source said the President would focus on the achievements of his administration, particularly the free uniform programme for children in public schools, the elimination of schools under trees through the construction of more classrooms, the increase in the capitation grant and the initiative to establish two public universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions.

The President would also highlight the historical feat chalked up by his administration in cutting the sod for work to begin on the housing project that would provide accommodation for the security services.

On youth development, the source said the, "future belongs to the youth and so it is important that the youth buy into the 'Better Ghana' agenda and become an integral part of that vision".

On governance, the President would credit his administration for setting up the Constitutional Review Commission to look at the aspects of the constitutions about which concerns had been raised.

The President is expected to speak on food and food security pointing out the gains chalked up, particularly how rice importation had gone down by 120 million dollars.