President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo arrived in the country Saturday night having travelled abroad for almost two weeks.
He was met on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport by key government officials, including Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare; Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu; Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul; Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery; Deputy Chief of Staff, Abu Jinapor; a Member of Council of State, Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, among others.
With the president were his Secretary, Nana Asante Bediatuo and Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye.
He left Ghana Monday, June 5, 2017, to attend meetings of the United Nations Advocacy Group of Eminent Personalities on the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in his capacity as Co-Chairperson of the Group in New York.
He first met Norwagian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, his Co-Chair of the UN SDGs in Brussels, Belgium.
President Akufo-Addo also held seperate meetings with the Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.
At the opening of the 2017 European Day’s celebration – Europe’s maiden forum on international cooperation and development – President Akufo-Addo delivered an address on the theme, ‘Making Gender and the Youth, the Private Sector’s Business.’
In the US, he addressed the UN’s Oceans Conference which was held in New York to support the implementation of the SDG 14.
He seized the opportunity to have his first formal meeting with UN Secretary General, Anthonio Gutteres.
In Germany, he paid a courtesy call on the Chancellor, Angella Merkel, and participated in the G20 Africa Partnership Summit which was held in Berlin to deliberate on German’s ‘Marshal Plan’ for Africa.
He later delivered a paper on the theme, ‘Ghana: Africa’s Rising Star’ at an event organised by the Konrad Adeaneur-Stiftung Foundation.
President Akufo-Addo later left Germany for London, the United Kingdom, before returning home.
He is expected to resume full duty today and swear in Justice Sophia Akuffo as Chief Justice; he will also attend to other pressing issues.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent