Here’s a full list of Akufo-Addo’s 22 newly appointed Ambassadors
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, July 10, 2017, announced his
second batch of Ambassadorial postings at a ceremony at the Banquet Hall
of the Jubilee House.
The President charged the appointees to preserve and promote the
image of Ghana "whose reputation amongst the comity of nations is high.
Below is a full list of the newly appointed 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
Below is the speech delivered by the President during the short ceremony
Good evening, and let me welcome you to the seat of the Presidency of
the Republic. I am here, tonight, to perform a pleasant, but very
important duty. This is the second time, since assuming, by the grace of
God and the generosity of the Ghanaian people, the high office of
President of the Republic, that I have the honour of presenting
credentials to persons appointed, in accordance with Article 74(1) of
the Constitution, to safeguard and promote the image and interests of
our nation outside these shores.
The twenty-two men and women, who have received their letters of
credence this evening, have been carefully chosen to become our
Ambassadors and High Commissioners. They have distinguished themselves
in their various fields of endeavour – politics, medicine, law,
academia, chieftaincy, military, business, social work – and in the
public service of our country. They are eminently fit to represent Ghana
in their respective places of accreditation, which have expressed
satisfaction at their appointments. I congratulate each one of you
warmly on your well-deserved appointment.
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.
I was elected, in the elections of December 2016, because the
Ghanaian people were dissatisfied with their living standards, and were
not happy with the direction in which the economy and, indeed, the
country was headed. One of our biggest challenges will be to fix the
economy we inherited. They voted for us to fix the economy and put our
country on the path of progress and prosperity. Indeed, we have begun to
fix the economy.
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.
Remember vividly the slogans of our flagship programmes,
1-District-1-Factory; 1-Village-1-Dam; Planting for Food and Jobs. They
are descriptions of our commitment to the rapid development and
transformation of the nation’s industrial and agricultural sectors. We
are determined to create the appropriate macroeconomic environment which
will attract domestic and foreign investment into these, the real
sectors of our economy. You have to help in that exercise.
You must strive to develop cordial working relations with the
professional Foreign Service officers you will find at your duty posts.
They have invaluable experience and knowledge of the terrain, which
should help you work effectively. You will need their assistance, and
they will need your guidance and leadership. Mutual respect is the key
to harmonious working relations. Again, your rapport with the Ghanaian
communities in your respective countries will be vital to your prospects
of success. 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.
Ghana is on very good and cordial terms with all the countries to
which you have been posted. Our bilateral relations span several
decades, and our ties of co-operation remain strong. Your role is to
deepen these even further, as well as explore other areas of effective
co-operation, which will inure to the mutual benefit of our respective
populations. In doing so, you will recall at all times our objective –
to build a Ghana Beyond Aid, a Ghana which is self-reliant and
exploiting its own resources, honestly, with hard work, enterprise and
creativity, to build the free, prosperous Ghana of the dreams of the
founding fathers of our nation.
I believe strongly that, in you, we have the men and women who can
help to turn around quickly the fortunes of our country, and put her on
the road to progress and prosperity. The Ghanaian people have placed
their hopes for a better life on us. We cannot fail them. I am looking
forward eagerly to working with you in the coming years so we can,
together, realise their hopes and aspirations.
Once again, congratulations, and may God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.
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