President Akufo-Addo (2nd right) and Prince of Wales (2nd left) with Rebecca Akufo-Addo and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.
The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was shock-stricken when he arrived in Accra yesterday to begin a four-day working visit to Ghana.
He was met on arrival at the Jubilee Lounge (VVIP) of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) together with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, by Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye.
The visit is part of efforts to strengthen existing relations between the British Empire and the government and people of Ghana.
As part of the reception, a photo exhibition was mounted in honour of the Prince.
The exhibition which was mounted at the foyer of the presidency (Jubilee House), had pictures of the Prince’s visit to Ghana some 40 years ago in 1977 when he first visited the country.
Prince Charles was literally held spellbound as he took time to go through each one of the pictures on the board as though trying to relive the memory all over again, beaming with broad smiles; he seemed to relish the moment.
Later at a meeting, President Akufo-Addo expressed concern about the possible aftermath of the Brexit and its impact on the relationship between the two countries.
That notwithstanding, he said, Ghana was determined to maintain its firm relationship with the United Kingdom (UK).
This was partly due to the fact that Ghana was and is still somehow influenced by British values and institutional arrangements – the reason why a large number of Ghanaians live in the UK.
Unfortunately, however, he said trade relations had declined between Ghana and the UK, expressing the hope that the visit of the Prince of Wales signaled hope of a new beginning and the scaling up of the trade.
President Akufo-Addo and the Prince later retired into a tete-a-tete meeting held behind closed doors in his office.
Programme
Later in the day, the couple took part in a commemorative event to acknowledge the sacrifices made by Ghanaian soldiers during the First and Second World Wars and in more recent times during international peace-keeping missions.
Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, are scheduled to pay a visit to the Asante Kingdom which prides itself of a rich royal tradition and culture today and expected to meet with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace to hold discussions.
A statement released by the British High Commission in Accra said the Prince would also attend a meeting with Ghanaian and international business leaders to discuss sustainable practice in Ghana’s cocoa industry and key environmental issues.
It stated that His Royal Highness would visit the Christiansborg Castle, once a Danish, then British Slave Fort, which was until a few years ago, the seat of Ghana’s government after independence, to discuss the future restoration and reuse of the area, as part of a major redevelopment of Accra’s waterfront, conceived by the Ghanaian government with the Architect Sir David Adjaye.
It noted that the Duchess who was President of the Women of the World Festival would also attend an event for a range of Ghanaian women in leadership positions.
The statement said the Women of the World festival (WOW) was a global festival movement founded by Jude Kelly CBE in London in 2010. It celebrates women and girls, and looks at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potentials.
It said the WOW event in Ghana would include a round table discussion with influential Ghanaian women.
He will on Sunday, November 4, 2018, join President Akufo-Addo for a thanksgiving service at the Ridge Church in Accra, and later visit the Osu Castle.
On Monday, November 5, 2018, he is scheduled to address a public lecture at the Accra International Conference Centre and visit the Jamestown quarters of Accra later in the day.
He will be honoured on the same Monday with a State Banquet at the Jubilee House.
The Prince and his wife will leave Ghana for the United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent