FULL SPEECH: Akufo-Addo’s address at the ‘Encounter with the Media’ series

President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is meeting journalists for the to present an account of his leadership within the first six months of his administration.

The president touched on illegal mining, job creation, economy, the planting for food and jobs project among other issues in his presentation.

He also answered questions bothering on various issues from the media.

The president said he prefers having a “noisy, boisterous sometimes scandalous media of today to the monotonous praise-singing sycophantic one of yesteryear” adding that although the media has been criticised for overstepping its freedom of expression limit following the repeal of the criminal libel law, “I don’t regret in one bit my role” in getting that colonial law expunged from Ghana’s statutes even though he is always criticised for leading the repeal.

Although he promised Ghanaians for lucrative jobs during his campaign time, he says the economy he inherited from the NDC administration is bad and that job creation has been his major challenge.

“Creation of jobs is a major challenge…I know the success of my government will be judged largely on job creation…”

According to him, though he knew the economy is Ghana’s biggest challenge, he was “still shocked about the state of the economy we found”.

The president also reiterated his resolve to fight illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the country.

According to him, not even his quest to remain in power ahead of the 2020 elections will deter him from winning the fight.

Click on photos to get clips of the president’s full speech.