Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has criticized Former President John Dramani Mahama for continuously absenting himself at state functions where President Akufo-Addo is in attendance.

The Suame Member of Parliament said per his calculation, the 2020 flagbearer of the NDC has been absent seven times at events the President has attended.

He cited the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on March 29 as the most recent case in point.

Contributing to the debate on the SONA in Parliament, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the conduct of John Mahama does not speak well.

“Conspicuously absent [during the recent State of the Nation Address] was former President John Dramani Mahama.

“That certainly is not a good account of the immediate past President and [former] Presidential candidate. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not attend the SONA presented by John Mahama in 2013 because the NPP at the time was contesting the legitimacy of the President.

“The NPP parliamentary group boycotted the 2013 events accordingly. But it is worth commending that former President John Agyekum Kufuor attended the swearing-in of President Mahama in 2013 in his capacity as a former President,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.

“The matter was settled by the Supreme Court in the second half of 2013 in favor of President Mahama.

“The NPP minority group subsequently attended the event in 2014 because the case had been decided. Nana Akufo-Addo did not attend the 2014 event because he had traveled outside the country.

“In 2015, he had returned to the country and accordingly attended the event. It is instructive to note that [former] President Mahama has not attended any of the seven events that had President Akufo-Addo as the key personality. The people of this country will not forget” he added.

President Akufo-Addo on March 29 delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) after several postponements.

In his address, the president admitted that the country’s economy was going through challenging times as a result of the ravaging effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

He maintained however that the government was poised to put in place measures to achieve a buoyant economy.

The State of the Nation Address is often graced by eminent personalities including former presidents and their spouses, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Chiefs and other renowned citizens.