President Akufo-Addo with Patricia Scotland QC
President Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the values of the
Commonwealth of Nations.
Generally known as the Commonwealth, the
Commonwealth of Nations is a political association of 53-member states, nearly
all of them former territories of the then British Empire.
Speaking at a meeting with the
Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, at the Jubilee House
on Thursday when she paid a courtesy call on the Presidency, the President said,
“As a strong and faithful member, Ghana continues to stand by these values
because the organisation has had positive influence on humanity.”
The Secretary-General is in the country to
attend the Commonwealth Youth Senior Officials (African Region) Conference
being hosted by Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo described Ms. Scotland
as a distinguished professional who had made great achievements and mentioned
particularly her interest in digitisation of countries which resonates with
what is being done in Ghana today.
He mentioned that the initiative which
dealt with data collection and analysis to help develop policy was a worthwhile
initiative, while touting Ghana’s credentials as a functioning democracy and
transparent society.
Apart from that, he indicated that the
country attaches a great deal of importance to these values, saying it is the
reason the organisation’s issues about good governance and accountability were
welcomed by Ghana.
On her part, the Secretary-General
commended the President for the programmes he had initiated especially those
bordering on finding solutions to problems affecting the youth.
With 60 per cent of the country’s
population under the age of 30 years, she noted that the hosting of the
Commonwealth Youth Senior Officials meeting in Ghana was very important because
one in two people in Africa is between the ages of 15 and 29. She commended the
President for his support for the Commonwealth and its activities.
Ms. Scotland discussed with the President
about the need for data collection and analysis, because most developing states
have a paucity of data.
That, according to her, was what made the
Commonwealth to launch its innovation after the Commonwealth heads of government
meeting and engaged in the analysis in relations to trade.
She said the data gathered and analyzed would help countries to find trade opportunities and facilitation.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
