My govt increased budgetary allocation to parliament, judiciary – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that his administration has increased the budgetary allocation to all accountability institutions of state including Parliament and the judiciary.

Due to the increased allocation, the president, the judiciary for instance has received ninety (90) newly constructed courts across the country.

Delivering his last State of the Nation Address in his first in office, on Tuesday, January 5, Mr Akufo-Addo said “There is no question but that many people got attracted to the unsustainable high-interest rates that some of these financial houses were offering. In all financial dealings, we have to accept what the experts tell us that, whenever whatever on offer sounds too good to be true, it invariably ends up being untrue and unsustainable.

“Government is committed to paying all validated claims, and I expect the process to be completed soon after the courts grant the liquidation orders for the remaining failed fund management companies.

“Government, since my assumption of office, has increased annually the budgetary allocations to all the accountability institutions of State, including Parliament and the Judiciary, with the latter, for example, being the beneficiary of ninety (90) newly constructed courts across the country.

“Our security agencies have been equipped with more personnel and the requisite tools needed to maintain law and order, as well as protect the territorial integrity of our borders. At the 81st Cabinet Meeting, the decision was taken to exclude the security services, i.e., the Police Service, Immigration Service, Fire Service, Prisons Service, as well as other security and intelligence agencies, just like the Armed Forces, from the unification of pension schemes.

“In other words, all the security agencies will continue to enjoy benefits under the CAP 30 Pension Scheme, and the appropriate legal regime will be put in place by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to ensure this.

“I am pleased to report that our undertaking to bring peace to Dagbon has been successful. For decades, this ancient and proud kingdom had been bedevilled with conflict. Since 2002, when a fresh eruption of the conflict ended in the tragic killing of my friend, Ya Na Yakubu Andani, Dagbon had become designated as a troubled land. A generation of young people had grown up knowing nothing else but Dagbon as a troubled land where there was no peace, and public officials hesitated to accept postings there.”