Minority Leader, Alban Sumani Bagbin, full of gratitude to outgoing President John Agyekum Kufuor for his service to the nation, says it is time for Ghanaians to serve him in return.

Bagbin was seconding a motion moved by the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Abraham Ossei Aidoo thanking President Kufuor for his final State of the Nation Address to the Fourth Parliament before its dissolution Monday.

“We thank you sincerely,” he said and added “we hope that once you have served the good people of Ghana, it is now time for the good people of Ghana also to serve you and all former presidents. We thank you.”

Below is Bagbin’s statement:

“Mr. Speaker, we truly and sincerely thank His Excellency for this message to the nation. Experience as we all know is the best teacher and his message has reminded me of the slogan – the longer, the better.

“We have listened attentively, we have heard what he has said, we have accumulated and accommodated it, we have taken note of the tone and spirit of the delivery and the contents and we would assure him that definitely we will take that into consideration in trying to rectify the challenges that we have been encountering as a country.

“The House definitely will take that into consideration in doing business and I’m sure that we will improve on our consensus building. We thank you sincerely, and we hope that once you have served the good people of Ghana, it is now time for the good people of Ghana also to serve you and all former presidents. We thank you and I second the motion.”

Speaker Begyina Sakyi Hughes had invited the Majority Leader to thank President Kufuor for his message on behalf of the House.

Abraham Osei Aidoo described the address as “most thought-provoking” and appreciated by the entire House.

The Speaker himself conveyed the House’s gratitude, compliments and good wishes of Good health and God’s guidance to the President during retirement and said it has been fruitful working with him.

By Isaac Yeboah