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The swearing-in ceremony for President-elect John Dramani Mahama, slated for Tuesday, January 7, 2025, promises to be a big event, with 21 heads of state confirmed to attend.
On Monday, January 6, the Ministry of Information announced that three Vice Presidents, four Ministers, and 24 envoys will attend the event.
The Ministry also announced that press accreditation for covering the inauguration is now available. Journalists, including overseas reporters who have filed for accreditation, must pick up their passes from the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) office by January 6, 2025.
Accreditation is required for all journalists, photographers, and videographers attending the event.
To provide a smooth and high-quality broadcast experience, the inauguration event will be produced centrally. Television channels will receive a feed, and media outlets that want a clean feed must have an internet connection of at least 4 Mbps.
The inauguration will be held at the renowned Black Star Square and will include a parliamentary session, necessitating the relocation of Parliament’s meeting to the venue.
Preparations are in full motion to provide a safe and well-organized event, with entrance to the legislative session limited to invited guests.
Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Clerk of Parliament, told Citi News in an interview on Sunday, January 5, that preparations were almost 80% complete.
“A lot of work has been completed. The construction on the grounds is 80% complete. We are reproducing parliament. You can easily observe that the layouts at Blackstar Square are similar to those in parliament. In parliament, the speaker’s base is always at one end, and the speaker sits and looks over the chamber. That is precisely what we have done.
The Clerk also asked members of the new 9th Parliament to focus on their legislative responsibilities rather than party agendas.
“Members of Parliament-elect must grasp their obligations. They are not in Parliament to implement party policies or further partisan objectives. Political parties are elected on the basis of a manifesto, which outlines objectives that benefit the nation and encourage progress,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, visitors are due to take their seats around 08:30, followed by Members of Parliament and other invited dignitaries. The Speaker will come to accompany the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect to the Chamber, where proceedings are expected to begin at 11:00 a.m.
To accommodate the event, certain Accra roads, including the 28th February Road from CEPS Headquarters to Castle Road Junction, Castle Road from AU Circle to Osu Cemetery Traffic Light, and Starlet 91 Road, will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic before reopening following the ceremony.
Traffic from the 28th February Road, which runs from La, Labone, and Osu to the Central Business District, will be redirected to the Salem Avenue Traffic Light at the Castle Traffic Light to link with Oxford Street. Additionally, traffic from John Evans Atta Mills High Street to Black Star Square will be rerouted.
The ceremony’s designated parking locations include the back of the Independence Arch, the State House’s forecourt, Access Bank Car Park, Osu Cemetery Car Park, Ministries locations, Ministry of Food and Agriculture Car Park, Marine Drive Football Park, and Efua Sutherland Car Park. No vehicles will be permitted to park in illegal areas or drive through any obstacles.
