Parliament has officially concluded its debate on the 2026 State of the Nation Address delivered by President John Dramani Mahama on February 27th.
According to a Facebook post by Parliament on Wednesday, March 11, leaders of both the Majority and Minority caucuses delivered their concluding remarks, bringing the discussions on the President’s address to an end.
In his closing comments, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin criticised the government’s plan to acquire a new presidential jet, arguing that such a decision was misplaced while several hospital projects across the country remain incomplete.
He also raised concerns about the government’s pledge to tackle youth unemployment. According to him, a number of young people were unable to take part in recent security service recruitment exercises because they lacked reliable internet access to complete the application process. The Minority Leader further criticised what he described as a reduction in the cocoa producer price, warning that the move could worsen the living conditions of cocoa farmers.
Responding to the concerns, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga defended the government’s policies and rejected claims that farmers were being short-changed. He maintained that the cocoa producer price under President Mahama’s administration has hit record levels.
Mr. Ayariga said when the global market pays more for chocolate products, cocoa farmers in communities such as Sefwi, Enchi and Tepa should also benefit from that value through improved earnings.
He added that the policy forms part of broader efforts to restore dignity to agriculture in Ghana while promoting local industrialisation. According to him, the long-term goal is to strengthen the country’s production base and position “Made in Ghana” products as globally competitive.
The debate ended with Parliament adopting the motion on the President’s address. The motion was moved by Isaac Adongo, Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, and seconded by John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South, bringing attention to bipartisan support for the government’s policy direction for the year 2026.