President Akufo-Addo with the four ambassadors
President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday issued letters of credence to four new envoys to represent the country’s interest abroad.
They were Nana Kwasi Arhin, assigned to Algeria; Joseph Ramsis Cleland, Switzerland; Edwin Nii Adjei, Australia and Oheneba Dr Leslie Akyaa Opoku-Ware, Russia.
At the brief ceremony at the Flagstaff House, the president administered three different oaths to the appointees – the oaths of office, allegiance and secrecy.
Whiles congratulating the envoys on their new roles, he charged them to help deliver his mandate for the betterment of the people of Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo urged them to remember vividly the slogans of his government’s flagship programmes – ‘One-District, One Factory,’ ‘One Village, One Dam’ and ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ – saying they are descriptions of government’s commitment to the rapid development and transformation of the nation’s industrial and agricultural sectors.
“We are determined to create the appropriate macroeconomic environment which will attract domestic and foreign investments into these, the real sectors of our economy. You have to help in that exercise,” he entreated.
President Akufo-Addo also urged the envoys and to strive to develop cordial working relations with the professional Foreign Service officers 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,” he underscored.
The president continued, “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.”
President Akufo-Addo also charged them to drive private sector investment into Ghana.
The appointees promised to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution of Ghana whiles asking for God’s help in the discharge of their duties.
The envoys also swore not to disclose any matter that would come to their knowledge in the discharge of their duties unless so permitted by law or the President of the Republic of Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Ambassador Edwin Nii Adjei thanked the government and people of Ghana for the opportunity given them to serve the nation and promised to live up to expectation
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent