President Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo left the country yesterday to begin a three-nation tour of the neighbouring countries, beginning with the Republic of Togo.
A statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, indicated that the president would be visiting Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire in the first leg of the regional tour.
He is expected to leave Togo on Thursday, May 4, for Burkina Faso, where he would meet the president of that country and depart the following day for Cote d’Ivoire and return to Ghana on Sunday, May 7.
“The visits will afford President Akufo-Addo the opportunity to formally introduce himself as the new Ghanaian leader to the governments and people of the neighbouring countries, explore and deepen bilateral relations with them, and reiterate Ghana’s full commitment to the ECOWAS project,” the statement explained.
President Akufo-Addo would later in the month embark on the second phase of his visit to some other countries in the regional bloc – ECOWAS – which is expected to take him to Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Benin, Cape Verde, Liberia and finally Sierra Leone.
While on the official tour, President Akufo-Addo would be accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Anyaa-Sowutuom, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway and some government officials.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would be acting as president in Nana Addo’s absence in accordance with Article 60 (8) of the 1992 Constitution, the statement added.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
