President Akufo-Addo greeting Ban Ki-Moon
Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has commended President Akufo-Addo and his government over their handling of the economy.
He believes Ghana is making great ‘economic strides’ under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, saying “under your leadership, your country is making great strides in economic development.”
The former UN boss said the IMF’s prediction that Ghana would have almost 7% annual growth was an indication that the current government was doing something right.
“Many countries, including Korea, are growing just about 2 to 3 per cent,” he said and added that Ghana growing around 7 per cent was a good story to tell.
Mr. Ki-Moon, who was in the country to attend Africa Netpreneur Prize initiative, a Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, flagship entrepreneur programme in Africa promoted by Jack Ma Foundation, also visited the graveside of the late and former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to pay his respects to the fallen Ghanaian global icon.
President Akufo-Addo commended Mr. Ki-Moon for spearheading the development of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He had a fond memory of when he first met the former UN envoy saying “we met when you were Foreign Minister of Korea and I was then Foreign Minister of Ghana; we struck up a good relationship and that is what led me to be almost your campaign manager.”
“I never regretted because your performance as Secretary-General was something that vindicated all of us who believed in you,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Ban Ki-Moon was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations and served two terms.
His priorities had been to mobilize world leaders around a set of new global challenges, from climate change and economic upheaval to pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water.
One of the Secretary-General’s first major initiatives was the 2007 Climate Change Summit followed by extensive diplomatic efforts that have helped put the issue at the forefront of the global agenda.
At the height of the food, energy and economic crises in 2008, the Secretary-General successfully appealed to the G20 for a $1 trillion financing package for developing countries and took other steps to guide the international response and protect the vulnerable and the poor.