President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged his Ambassadors and High Commissioners to preserve and promote the image of Ghana wherever they find themselves.
Mr Akufo-Addo said this on Monday July 10, 2017, when he announced his second batch of ambassadorial postings at a ceremony at the Banquet Hall of the Jubilee House.
“Ambassadors and High Commissioners, your roles are threefold – diplomatic, ceremonial and administrative. You must, however, bear in mind that, in all of these, you have the onerous responsibility of preserving and promoting the image of a country whose reputation amongst the comity of nations is high. You represent a country that, as a result of the commendable conduct of the Ghanaian people, is regarded as one of the most stable on the continent, which is a functioning democracy, governed by the rule of law and respect for individual liberties, human rights and the principles of democratic accountability.
“We are regarded as a beacon of democracy in Africa, and, recently, in April, according to the reputable RMB Global Markets Research, the 4th best place to invest and do business in on the African continent. You are the most visible symbol of our country out there, and in all your actions you must guard jealously our country’s image. I am confident this is a charge you will uphold,” he stated.
Mr Akufo-Addo also urged them to drive private sector investment to the country to end the culture of borrowing which has ballooned the country’s debt stock.
He said: “As I indicated earlier this year at the World Bank Development Finance Forum, and have re-echoed on several occasions, government has made it a policy to seek more private sector equity financing for infrastructure projects, rather than the historic resort to borrowing and more borrowing that has resulted in the ballooning of our debt stock. This means that you have the responsibility to drive private sector investment into Ghana. You are the chief promoters of Ghana’s commercial interests to the respective countries to which you are going. Promoting Ghana means working closely with our Ministries and Agencies at home, whose role it is to generate investment in the country.”
Mr Akufo-Addo further advised the ambassadors to strive to develop cordial working relations with the professional Foreign Service officers they will find at their duty posts.
He further noted that the success or otherwise of the ambassadors will depend on their rapport with the Ghanaian communities in their respective countries. “They will be counting and looking up to you to champion not only our nation’s interests, but theirs as well. Do your best not to disappoint them,” he said.
Touching on international relations, Mr Akufo-Addo charged the ambassadors to further deepen Ghana’s bilateral relations with all the countries they have been posted to as Ghana’s bilateral relations span several decades with those countries.
In all, Mr Akufo-Addo named 22 ambassadors.
They are:
Mrs Salma Frances Mancell-Egala – Republic of Turkey
Mr. Paul Okoh – Arab Republic of Egypt
Mrs. Mercy Bampo Addo – Republic of Malta
Mr. Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa – Republic of Togo
Ms. Sophia Horner-Sam – The Netherlands
Ms. Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa – The Kingdom of Denmark
Ms. Elizabeth Salamatu Forgor – Republic of Namibia
Gen. Francis Adu-Amanfoh – Republic of Mali
Mr. Joseph Kojo Akudibilah – Vatican
Mr. Joseph Ayikoi Otoo – Canada
Mr. Napoleon Abdulai – Republic of Cuba
Ms. Margaret Ekua Prah – Republic of Zambia
Ms. Esther Dzifa Ofori – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Prof. Abena Pokua A. Busia – Federative Republic of Brazil
Ms. Paulina Patience Abagaye – Republic of Italy
Mr. George Ayisi-Boateng – Republic of South Africa
Naa Bolinaa Saaka – Burkina Faso
Mr. Mike Nii Nortey Oquaye jnr – Republic of India
Sheikh T.B Damba – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Mr. William Azuma Awinador Kanyirigi – Federal Democratic of Ethiopia
Dr. Edward Nasigiri Mahama – Ambassador-at-large
Mr. Rasheed Seidu Inusah – Ambassador-at-large
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
