The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says his government recognises the importance of exploiting the countries offshore hydrocarbon resources, stressing that it is equally critical not to ignore the possibilities of the nation’s onshore deposits, especially in the Voltarian Basin.

It is for the reason that, according to President Akufo-Addo, he, last year, directed the state-owned oil development company, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), to pay particular attention to this potential.

“It is good to hear that that directive appears to be yielding dividends, as GNPC, from the results of its pilot survey in the Voltaian basin, has established the presence of a working petroleum system. I hope that, eventually, there will be something big for us to cheer about,” President Akufo-Addo said.

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Thursday, 8th February, 2018, when he delivered his Message on the State of the Nation address in Parliament.

Touching on the area of Sports, President Akufo-Addo stated that this year, Government will continue the process of passing the Legislative Instruments of the National Youth and Sports Act, pursue the enactment of the draft National Sports College Bill, and create a Sports Fund to improve sports development in the country.

“Government also remains committed to the development of football in the country. We have begun the rehabilitation of the Accra Sports Stadium, aka Ohene Djan Sports Stadium, and in partnership with the Inner City and Zongo Development Ministry and the Ghana Football Association, we are constructing a number of football pitches in the Zongos and across the rest of the country, to aid in the revival of colts football, which has been responsible for the production of talents like Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah.

We need to catch the talents at a young age, if Ghanaian football is to continue with its traditions of excellence, and perform well on the national and international stage,” he said.

On the need to create the space and atmosphere for the country’s artists and creatives, President Akufo-Addo pledged the support of government for them.

“The foundations for the passing of the Creative Arts Bill have been laid, and, ultimately, processes for the setting up of the Creative Arts Fund will be completed to enable our creative artists to access funds to boost their art,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo was confident that as the country makes progress in its undertakings, more and more people will come to Ghana to find things out for themselves, to conduct business and, increasingly, simply as tourists to experience Ghana and enjoy themselves.

“I am happy to report that we have now recognized the need to go further than our reputation for being hospitable. We are building a Ghana, where tourists will feel at home, and we shall feel proud when they say ‘I was in Ghana’”, he added

It is in view of this that, the President indicated that, “on December 15, 2017, I joined the chiefs and people of Osu and Gbese to cut the sod for the 241-acre Accra Marine Drive Project. This project, during construction and upon completion, will generate thousands of jobs for the local community and across the value chain, and position Ghana as a key tourism destination”.