Name Foreign Affairs Ministry complex after Ako-Adjei

A former Ghana Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has called on the government to name the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex near the Kotoka International Airport after Dr Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, the country’s first foreign minister.

According to him, naming the Foreign Ministry complex after Ako-Adjei would be an honour for the independence pioneer and motivate the emulation of the selflessness, patriotism, self-sacrifice and professional excellence that the late statesman exemplified in public service.

Dr Ako-Adjei was one of Ghana’s founding fathers and a member of the ‘Big Six’ who spearheaded the Gold Coast independence movement.

Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe recalled that as Ghana’s first Foreign Minister, Ako-Adjei was instrumental in the evolution of the principles of Ghana’s Foreign Policy, as well as the foundational principles of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union (AU).

He said Dr Ako-Adjei was also responsible for the emergence of an indigenous diplomatic corps.

Also, as a solicitor, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said the late Ako-Adjei drafted the petition that Gold Coast Second World War veterans attempted to present to the governor at the Osu Castle, leading to the 28th February 1948 shooting incident, one of the precursors to the collapse of colonial rule in the Gold Coast.

He commended the government for its vision in securing the cooperation of the Chinese government to construct the complex so as to provide the Foreign Ministry with a suitable base for its operations.