President Alassane Ouattara displaying his award after receiving it from President Akufo-Addo at a ceremony in Accra
The Presidents of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, Nana Akufo-Addo and Alassane Ouattara respectively have resolved to work to protect the interest of cocoa farmers whose sweat and toil are yielding billions of dollars from the global chocolate market.
In 2015, the two countries earned some $5.75 billion which accounted for 65% of the world’s cocoa production.
This was at a time the global chocolate market was worth some $100 billion.
Concern
For President Akufo-Addo, “It meant that our farmers, through whose toil and sweat the cocoa industry is founded, earned 5.75% of the global value chain of the industry,” describing it as a manifestation of injustice.
He therefore insisted, “It cannot and should not continue.”
That was when he held a dinner Monday night in honour of President Alassane Ouattara at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) where he bestowed the honour of ‘The Companion of the Star of Ghana, Honorary Division’ – Ghana’s highest civilian national honour – on his guest for his untiring efforts at ensuring social justice, peace and security at the domestic, as well as the international levels.
Resolve
Being the two largest producers of cocoa, President Akufo-Addo noted, “Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have begun to cooperate to ensure that we do not continue to be victims or pawns of a global cocoa industry that is dependent on the work of our farmers.”
In that regard, he said, “President Ouattara and I have decided to work together to provide the necessary leadership for technical and political cooperation that promotes the interests of our farmers, and addresses effectively the international cocoa price decline in the short-to-medium term.
“We are fashioning far-reaching policies towards achieving a shared vision of an industrialized and prosperous domestic cocoa economy.”
He was hopeful “this will reduce our vulnerability to the volatility of the markets, and help deliver prosperity to our farmers and peoples.”
Relations
On relations between the two countries, President Akufo-Addo said “Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are two of the most important members of the ECOWAS community, and are at the heart of its geography and make-up, one Anglophone, the other Francophone. Together, we should be the motor that powers the integration of our region.
“I have made it clear on several occasions, and in the countries I have visited so far in the region and on the continent, that I am willing to do whatever I can to strengthen the ECOWAS community. I am fully committed, and I know President Alassane Ouattara is too.”
That, he said, was because “it is extremely important for the welfare of the 350 million people of the region, which will reach some 500 million in 20 years’ time, that we, the leaders, demonstrate strong political will to make the project of regional integration an economic and political success, and make it a reality in the lives of our peoples.”
Appreciation
President Akufo-Addo also seized the opportunity on behalf of the government and people of Ghana, to convey their deepest sympathies to President Ouattara and the people of Cote d’Ivoire for last Saturday’s cargo plane crash, which led to the death of four persons and injuries to six others.
President Ouattara could not but thank his Ghanaian counterpart and the government and people of Ghana for bestowing on him Ghana’s highest civilian honour.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent