Delivering a speech, the president among other things addressed the significance of the Eid celebration.
He called on Ghanaians to sacrifice to help his government navigate the current economic hardships and also urged striking teacher unions to return to the classroom while government finds ways to address their concerns.
Read the president's full adress below:
The president highlighted some sacrifices officials of his government are making
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Master of the Day of Judgment. We continue to glorify Him for His mercies on our individual lives and on our country Ghana.Many of our compatriots have made it to the annual pilgrimage in Mecca, and we pray that the Almighty Allah brings them home safely.
National Chief Imam, our country continues to be grateful for your leadership of the Ummah. Your commitment to the unity and cohesion of our country continues to ensure that we live in unity, peace and harmony in Ghana.
It is not for nothing that all pilgrims wear white apparel of the same style, and make during the Hajj rituals. When we look at the sea of pilgrims, we are unable to distinguish the rich from the poor, the high from the low, and the powerful from the weak. Everybody assumes equality before the Lord.
In the same way, we are determined to ensure that the laws of our country do not discriminate against people under any circumstance. I, thus, want to assure you of my continuing commitment to the well-being and progress of every Ghanaian, no matter their religious belief, ethnic identity or political persuasion.
In my political journey, I have had the privilege of working with Muslims, many of whom have gone through toil and self-deprivation, to ensure the realisation of my goal to serve this nation as its President. I, therefore, feel a sense of personal indebtedness to the Community that birthed these great sons and daughters of our land. Be assured that, no matter the temporary economic difficulties we face, the commitments that we have made towards the development of Muslim communities shall not be compromised.
National Chief Imam, Ulama, another lesson we ought to
draw from Hajj is the near-sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim of his son Ishmael. I appeal to you, my fellow Ghanaians, to make some sacrifice to afford us the space to navigate the troubled waters of the current economic difficulties.
We, in Government, are contributing our quota in this regard. We have cut discretionary expenditures of Ministries, Departments and Agencies by thirty percent (30%), we have reduced the salaries of political appointees by thirty percent (30%) for the rest of the year, reduced their fuel coupon allocation by fifty percent (50%), and placed a moratorium on the purchase of imported vehicles, amongst others.
I am aware that some teacher unions have declared a strike in pursuit of a twenty percent (20%) cost of living allowance. I am happy that yesterday the teachers were joined by other members of organised labour, under the Trades Union Congress, to sit down with Government, led by the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and the Minister for Education, to begin negotiations on this matter.
I want to add my voice to the appeal by the outstanding Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, for the teachers to return to the classrooms, pending the outcome of negotiations, so that the education of our children, some of whom are preparing to sit their final exams, is not affected.
We are in a difficult place. The world is in a difficult place. Leaders around the world, like we are doing here in Ghana, are working assiduously to resolve the fundamental challenges that have plunged the world into the current economic condition in which it finds itself. But, just as the efforts of Hagar resulted in the discovery of the Zamzam well, from which we drink to this day, I am confident that, soon, we shall also discover our own Zamzam.
Islam means peace and submission to the will of Allah. Let us, on this day, make peace with ourselves and our fellow beings, so that we can be in conformity with the Qur'anic admonishment that states that, and I quote, "and hold fast all of you together, to the rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together... (Q:3:103).
Let us hold fast to the rope that Allah has united us with, the rope of Ghana. Only in doing so shall we achieve our aim of making Ghana great and strong. I thank you for your attention. Have a great celebration.
GA/WA
