Otumfuo and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
PRESIDENT OF the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had a closed door discussion at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
The visiting president, who is on a three-day state visit to the country, also visited the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to hold discussions with the leadership of the top academic institution.
According to Mr. Steinmeier, his country and the KNUST are closely working together in several disciplines to the mutual benefit of the university and Germany, stressing his country’s desire and readiness to continue working with the Kumasi-based university.
“There is an existing cooperation and we will extend it in the future,” President Steinmeier announced and applauded the relationship between Germany and Ghana, stating that, “We are completely aware of the opportunities involved in the Ghana-Germany cooperation.”
According to him, there is the strong need for Germany and Ghana to continue their journey, which has lasted for many years, pointing out that the two countries have great potentials of boosting their growth.
Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, the KNUST Vice Chancellor, mentioned some identifiable areas that KNUST and Germany could cooperate in the coming years, to help accelerate the developmental aspirations of the university and Germany.
For instance, she said KNUST and Germany can work in areas such as research, innovation, and capacity building, adding that the academic institution would need technical, logistical and other support from Germany to deliver on its mandate.
On his part, Akyeamfour Asafo Boakye Agyeman-Bonsu, the Asafohene, on behalf of Otumfuo, thanked the German president for visiting KNUST, and called for support from the German government in improving logistics and human resource at KNUST.
He described KNUST as a top academic institution with a rich historical record, and urged Germany to deepen its working relations with the school going forward, saying, “You are at the right place. You cannot get any university better than KNUST.”
Present at the event were Frederik Landshöft, German Ambassador to Ghana; Odeneho Okyere Kusi Ntrama, Esumegyahene; Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education; Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister, and other dignitaries.
Significantly, the KNUST, led by Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, donated some beautiful made in Ghana items to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a way of showing appreciation for his visit to the university.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi