The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 5th December, 2017, swore into office 7 Ambassadors and 1 High Commissioner, at an event at the Flagstaff House, with a charge to safeguard and promote the image and interests of Ghana outside her shores.

The 8 envoys are Mr. Francis Abakah, High Commissioner to the Republic of Sierra Leone; Mr. Emmanuel Enos, Ambassador to the State of Qatar; Mr. Ernest-Burke Asare Asiedu, Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia; and Mrs. Hannah Ama Nyarko, Ambassador to the State of Israel.

The rest are Mrs. Perpetual Dufu, Ambassador to the Republic of Angola; Mr. Joseph Kwaku Antwi, Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo; Alhaji Sayuti Yahaya Iddi, Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran; and Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Yahaya Iddi, Ambassador to the State of Kuwait.

At the event at the Presidency, President Akufo-Addo reminded the envoys of their threefold role – diplomatic, ceremonial and administrative, urging them to be mindful of the fact that they 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, a beacon of democracy, which is governed by the rule of law and respect for individual liberties, human rights and the principles of democratic accountability.

Reiterating the policy of government to seek more private sector equity financing for infrastructure projects, rather than the historic resort to borrowing and more borrowing that resulted in the ballooning of Ghana’s debt stock, the President noted that the new envoys 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 duties are to generate investment in the country,” he said.

The President continued, “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”.

President Akufo-Addo also urged them to strive to develop cordial working relations with the professional Foreign Service officers they will find at their 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,” he said.

On their rapport with the Ghanaian communities in their respective countries, the President noted that the Ghanaian community will be vital to their prospects of success, indicating that “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.”

With Ghana, through the creation of embassies, establishing formal diplomatic presence in Kuwait and Qatar for the first time, President Akufo-Addo noted that the respective Ambassadors have the important duty of cementing Ghana’s relations with both States to promote mutual co-operation.

“In doing so, you will recall at all times our objective – to build a Ghana Beyond Aid, a Ghana which has an honest system of governance, free of corruption, and which is self-reliant and exploiting its own resources with hard work, enterprise and creativity, to build the free, prosperous Ghana of the dreams of the founding fathers of our nation,” he added.