Ambassador Virginia Palmer with Journalists in Tamale
The U.S Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has urged Journalists to conduct their work with great professionalism to consolidate Ghana’s democracy.
“Democracy is Ghana’s strongest attribute so the role you play cannot be overestimated. The embassy is behind you and when there’s a problem we will come to your defense because your role as a Journalist is very important.”
The U.S Ambassador as part of her working visit to Tamale had a media engagement with Journalists and indicated that the media play an important role in ensuring accountability and assured that the U.S Embassy will support media development and press freedom at all times.
“ The reporting you do on corruption is one of the most important factors in keeping officials and politicians on the right path.”
The Ambassador stated that the U.S government has a $ 2.7 billion bilateral trade investment with Ghana and noted that “Companies will continue to invest in Ghana if they believe that they can operate transparently and that the business environment is predictable so being free from corruption is important to them.”
She was of the view that corruption undermines everything that the government of Ghana wants to do and for that matter, the U.S provides support to the office of the Special Prosecutor, human rights training, and professional training for the Police among others.
Madam Palmer commended the government of Ghana for its commitment to inclusive economic growth in the Northern part of Ghana.
“ I have a lot of respect for the way that the government of Ghana recognizes that inclusive economic growth in the North is critical to the economic growth of development and also to peace and stability to preventing violent extremists from taking advantage of conflict or lack of development.”
According to her, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested $130 million in programmes in the Northern part of Ghana.
She assured Ghana of the commitment of the United States to fund more programmes to boost economic growth in the North.
Security
The U.S ambassador said professionalism and training of security personnel in Ghana is extremely important and assured the country of their support to ensure peace prevails.
She lauded the government for the Accra Initiative where the government recognizes that there is an increased threat from the Sahel and close door West African countries that are democratic and stable are increasingly vulnerable to attacks and it’s been seen in Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire in recent days.
“ The Accra Initiative is the government of Ghana’s leadership with its neighbors to cooperate and to share information and intelligence and all work in inclusive economic growth within our Northern borders to make sure that we stay peacefully and Democratic and if that happens then the rest of the economy in the entire West African and the continent will also be strengthened.”
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale