Prez Akufo-Addo swears in five new envoys
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday swore into office five new envoys to represent Ghana’s interests abroad at a ceremony at the Flagstaff House.
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They are Mrs Dufie Agyarko Kusi, an international public servant, Korea; Madam Virginia Hesse, a former senior civil servant, Czech Republic; Mrs Francisca Ashitey-Odunton, a media practitioner and Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation, Kenya; Mr Alowe Leo Kabah, a lawyer and politician, Benin, and Professor Abena Busia, an internationally acclaimed academic and poet, Ghana’s Ambassador to Brazil.
President Akufo-Addo said the five persons, who received their letters of credence, had distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour.
He said the new envoys were eminently fit to represent Ghana in their respective places of accreditation and expressed satisfaction at their appointments.
“You represent a country that, as a result of the commendable conduct of the Ghanaian people, is regarded as one of the most stable on the continent, which is a functioning democracy, governed by the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, human rights and the principles of democratic accountability,” President Akufo-Addo told the new envoys.
“We are regarded as the beacon and standard bearer of democracy in Africa, and, recently, in April, according to the reputable RMB Global Markets Research, the 4th best place to invest and do business on the African continent. You are the most visible symbol of our country out there, and in all your actions you must guard jealously our country’s image. I am confident this is a charge you will uphold,” the President said.
We will fix economy
He said the government was elected into office in the December 2016 general election because the Ghanaian people were dissatisfied with their living standards, and were not happy with the direction in which the economy and, indeed, the country was headed.
Therefore, President Akufo-Addo said the government’s biggest challenge was to fix the economy which was bequeathed to it by the previous administration.
“They voted for us to fix the economy and put our country on the path of progress and prosperity. Indeed, we have begun to fix the economy, and the mid-year review presented on Monday by the brilliant Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, shows that we are on track. We will fix the economy. We will bring jobs and prosperity to Ghana,” he said.
Reminder
President Akufo-Addo urged the new envoys to remember vividly the slogans of his government’s flagship programmes, including the one-district, one-factory; one-village, one-dam and Planting for Food and Jobs policies.
He described the policies as descriptions of the government’s commitment to the rapid development and transformation of the nation’s industrial and agricultural sectors.
“We are determined to create the appropriate macro-economic environment which will attract domestic and foreign investment into these, the real sectors of our economy. You have to help in that exercise,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo also urged the new envoys to strive to develop cordial working relations with the career diplomats they would find at their duty posts, as well as develop a good rapport with the Ghanaian communities in their respective countries.
“Ghana is on very good and cordial terms with the countries to which you have been posted. Our bilateral relations span several decades, and our ties of co-operation remain strong. Your role is to deepen these even further, as well as to explore other areas of effective co-operation, which will inure to the mutual benefit of our respective populations.
“In doing so, you will recall at all times our objective – to build a Ghana Beyond Aid, a Ghana which is self-reliant and exploiting its own resources, honestly, with hard work, enterprise and creativity, to build the free, prosperous Ghana of the dreams of the founding fathers of our nation,” he urged.