President Akufo-Addo has denied claims and suggestions that Ghanaians are gradually becoming xenophobic.
It follows recent misunderstanding between some Ghanaian retail traders and their Nigerian counterparts following the increasing spate of reported cases of kidnappings with the involvement of Nigerians.
Some Ghanaian retail traders believe the kidnappings have been provoked as a result of permissiveness of the country’s laws, which has contributed to the influx of Nigerians.
Some foreign nationals who are neck-deep in the retail business, especially Nigerians and Chinese nationals who are largely affected have, therefore, sought to create the impression that Ghanaians are becoming xenophobic.
Bidding farewell last Friday to the outgoing Ivorian Ambassador to Ghana, Bernard Ehui-Koutua, who also doubles as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo insisted Ghana is not a xenophobic state, and has no problems with fellow other nationals living and working in the country.
“There is no xenophobia in Ghana; we are not a xenophobic state. Instead, we are the pan-African nation that has opened its doors to all Africans, and they are not going to be the object of any hate campaign in Ghana,” the President said.
He urged the outgoing ambassador to convey this message to President Ouattara that Ghana continues to remain open and welcoming, especially to our brothers and sisters from all parts of the continent.
The President, however, had a note of caution: “What we do insist on, which is what every nation insists on, is that our own domestic laws are respected by those who come into our country…We are no different from other people.”
President Akufo-Addo described the departure of Ambassador Ehui-Koutua as a sad day for Ghana because, according to him, “he conducted himself with great dignity, and became the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.”
“With Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire bonded by ties of common blood, common history, common ethnicity and common geography, the President noted that one of the most important, diplomatic, strategic, political relations that Ghana can have with any country is with the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire,” he stated.
Agreements such as the “Strategic Partnership Agreement” signed by the two leaders of the two countries – Presidents Alasanne Ouattara and Nana Akufo-Addo – coupled with the substantial convergence of views of the two leaders on regional, continental and global matters, were highlighted by President Akufo-Addo as examples of the successes chalked up by Ambassador Ehui-Koutua.
“I am looking forward to deepening and strengthening the ties between our two countries. We are at the centre of integration efforts both in the region and on the continent. We will continue to walk side by side as we have been doing these past years,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo also bade farewell to Mohammed Hussain Al-Failakawi, outgoing Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Ghana and to Mohammed Farahat, outgoing Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ghana; including Mr. Hugues Chantry, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent