The Swearing-in ceremony of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday, January 7, 2021, saw impressive turnout of international and local dignitaries, which added credence to the country’s growing democracy.
Notable among them included President Professor Alpha Conde of Guinea, who was given the opportunity to present a goodwill message to President Akufo-Addo on his ascendency to the highest office of the land for a second four-year term.
President Conde lauded President Akufo-Addo and the good people of Ghana for lifting the image of the country’s democracy high amongst the comity of nations in Africa and globally.
The heads of state who attended the President’s investiture were President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’lvoire, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, President George Manneh Weah of Liberia, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, President Macky Sall of Senegal and President Roch Marc Christian Kabore of Burkina Faso.
The colourful and well-organised ceremony was also witnessed by Vice President of Angola, Bornito de Sousa, Transitional Vice President of Mali, Colonel Assimi Goita, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the UN Secretary-General’s Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Ambassador J. Peter Pham, Special Envoy of the United States responsible for the Sahel, Faki Mahamat, African Union Commission President, Guillaume Athanase Tolon, and Minister of Foreign Affairs for Cape Verde and Dr T.D.A. S Olivia, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Madagascar.
Other local dignitaries included; Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Wife of the Vice President Samira Bawumia, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, Chairman of the Council of State, members of Parliament, the Clergy and traditional rulers.
President Akufo-Addo, in his inaugural address, thanked Ghanaians for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to pursue policies and programmes to create prosperity for all.
He told the gathering his government’s commitment to create jobs for the youth and resuscitate the economy, ravaged by the global COVID-19 pandemic and lead it to the path of progress and prosperity.
President Akufo-Addo pledged to work with the newly-elected Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, the immediate Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the Seventh Parliament, who is from the opposition National Democratic Congress, to enhance the country’s democracy.
President Akufo-Addo has become the sixth President of the Fourth Republic who begins a second four-year term from today, January 7,2021.
GNA