President Nana Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation Address on Thursday emphasised that Ghana continues to play a lead role in making the AU and ECOWAS relevant and active to the changing needs of the region and continent.
The President who was in Parliament to fulfill Article 67 of the 1992 constitution which requires that the president gives State of the Nation Address at the beginning of every year, also touched on the difficulties that exist in ECOWAS especially with the five month boarder closure with its age-old friend Nigeria and the instability and terrorist activity that is sadly blighting the lives of thousands in some part of Nigeria.
“Shedding of innocent blood in the Sahel and neighbors to the North of Ghana, we are playing positive roles in the efforts being made within ECOWAS to bring this boundary impasses to an end”.
There is a consistent cooperation of security and intelligence between Ghana and her neighboring countries like Cote d’lvoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Mali and Niger which continues to be Ghana’s concrete contribution to the fight against terrorism in the region.
“All of us have a vested interest in helping to maintain the peace, stability and security of Ghana in current troubling circumstances of our Region”.
“Mr. Speaker, we never lose sight of the fact that there are many Ghanaian communities in all parts of the world, and our missions abroad have been charged anew to be alive to their needs. I am happy to report that Ghanaians in the diaspora are very much involved in whatever happens in their home country”.
He added that wherever he goes, he meet with Ghanaians and they are often very well informed and insistent on accountability from government officials.
Remittances from Ghanaians abroad constitute a healthy part of the Ghanaian economy and I always encourage them to bring their acquired skills to invigorate the political and economic landscape.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com