The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akufo-Addo

  • Buhari, Akufo-Addo, Osinbajo, others for NBA conference

    President Muhammadu Buhari, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Ado, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar ( rtd) are among dignitaries expected at the 2018 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA).

    It will hold from August 26 to 30 at the International Conference Center, Abuja, with the theme: Transition, Transformation and Sustainable Institutions.

    A statement by NBA Technical Committee on Conference Planning (TCCP) chairman Mr. George Etomi said Akufo-Addo will give the keynote address, while there will be a “conversation with President Buhari.”

    “The conference theme has been carefully chosen to reflect the global, socio-economic, technological and political shifts that underpin current contextual realities in governance, business and politics.

    “Debates around the challenges to the assumed global order or the developmental difficulties in Africa reinforce the need for sustainable institutions to manage transitions and transformations.

    “The theme similarly speaks to the role various stakeholders can play in ensuring peaceful and successful transitions, drawing references from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. The Conference will therefore focus on how transitions are handled in critical spheres of human endeavours and the strength of institutions to withstand the shocks that may be incidental to change.”

    He said the conference will have five sub-themes, including Political Transition and Governance; Rule of law and security, sustainable economic development, technological disruptions and diversity and inclusion, with 35 sessions.

    Gen Abubakar, who Etomi said is generally acclaimed to have overseen one of the most peaceful transitions of power from military to civilian authorities, will also speak.

    “The conference will also feature high level panel discussions by renowned global and industry leaders in various fields, while we will also have a complement of young minds who will be making robust contributions to nation-building from their perspectives.

    “The NBA is Africa’s largest body of lawyers with over 106, 000 members and the Annual General Conference remains a melting pot for intellectual and policy shaping discourse.

    “This year is going to be no different as we expect more than 10,000 delegates to converge in the city of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria to chart the course for transformation of law, politics and the economy in Nigeria and Africa.

    “For ease of participation at this year’s conference, we have launched our new website which will leverage cutting edge technology and mobile applications, to cater for registration, conference enquiries, hotel and event bookings and details on conference speakers at the click of a button.

    “We will also continue to update the website with exciting features such as tourism guides and activities to expect at our Friendship Centres, among other details as we progress.

    “Please visit the conference website at www.nbaconference.com to take full advantage of the early bird registration offer which remains open up until 31st July, 2018.

    “The NBA is also working in partnership with notable hotels who are offering fantastic concessionary rates that you will do well to take advantage of by making a reservation through the website,” Etomi said.

  • Akufo-Addo takes oath as Ghana’s new president

    Akufo-Addo takes oath as Ghana’s new president

    •A new dawn has come, says Tinubu in congratulatory message

    Accra- Before a roaring  crowd including  local and foreign guests ,Nana Akufo-Addo yesterday took office as Ghana’s fifth president, promising to stamp out government corruption and kick start the private sector.

    The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer declared that being a Ghanaian must come with a code of conduct.

    “It is time to define what being a Ghanaian ought to mean. Being a Ghanaian must mean you sign up to a definable code of conduct,” he said in his inaugural address at the Independence Square.

    “Being a Ghanaian is an obligation on each of us to work to building a fair and prosperous nation,” he added.

    National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in a congratulatory message to the new president said it is a new dawn in Ghana.

    Wearing a traditional robe draped over one shoulder, Akufo-Addo waved a gold sword — a symbol of Ghana’s presidency – and said:”We no longer have any excuses for being poor.

    “We must restore integrity in public life. State coffers are not spoils for the party that wins an election, but resources for the country’s social and economic development.

    He  vowed to put Ghana “back on the path of progress and prosperity” after an economic slump under Mahama that led to an International Monetary Fund bail-out.

    The new president spoke of his determination to  support entrepreneurs and attract investors to the country, which has suffered from lacklustre growth in recent years.

    “We will reduce taxes to recover the momentum of our economy,” Akufo-Addo said.

    Eleven African heads of state including Presidents Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria),Egdar  Lungu (Zambia), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea) ,Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya) ,Ali Bongo Ondimba (Gabon), Ernest Bai Koroma (Sierra Leone) attended the ceremony as were Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan..

    Also in attendance were Akufo-Addo’s immediate predecessor, John Dramani Mahama, and former leaders John Rawlings and John Kufuor,

    President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire was  the special guest of honour.

    Accra police enforced tight security during the inauguration, with major roads in and around the venue cordoned off.

    Traders set up stalls nearby hoping to cash in on the ceremony by selling Ghana flags and white, red and blue paraphernalia from Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party.

    Asiwaju Tinubu in a statement  described Akufo-Addo as a seasoned administrator and diplomat from a strong political family, saying, with him, Ghana is headed for greater heights.

    Asiwaju Tinubu also congratulated Ghana for setting the right democratic example for Africa.

    He said: “The people of Ghana have chosen right. Akufo-Addo is a seasoned administrator, diplomat and hails from a strong political family in Ghana.

    “With him at the helm, Ghana is poised for greater heights. He has been in government before as Foreign Affairs Minister and comes prepared for the office he has sought for two times unsuccessfully. His election is a testament to perseverance, vision and commitment.

    “I also congratulate Ghana for setting the right example for Africa. With transition not only from one leader to another but also from one government to another, from a governing party to an opposition party, that country’s democracy is maturing.

    “Indeed, it’s a new dawn for Ghana. President Akufo-Addo must now join our President, Muhammadu Buhari, in the task of taking Africa to the next level.

    “I must congratulate Ghanaians for the peaceful election and orderly transition. The conduct of all involved in the election shows that democracy has been firmly established in Ghana. As has been its tradition, Ghana has once again helped to lead Africa in the way it must go. The Black Star truly shines for all of Africa!

    “I commend former President John Mahama for his courage and gallantry. He has helped to further stabilise democracy in Ghana. By conceding defeat even before the winner had been called, President Mahama had demonstrated that he is a true democrat and a progressive leader.”

  • Obasanjo to Akufo-Addo: strengthen Nigeria-Ghana ties

    Obasanjo to Akufo-Addo: strengthen Nigeria-Ghana ties

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised the Ghanaian President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, to strengthen the dormant relationship between Ghana and Nigeria in the interest of the African region.
    Obasanjo, who gave the advice in Owerri, Imo State capital, when he attended the Imo Day of Thanksgiving as guest speaker with the Ghanaian President-elect also present, assured Akufo-Addo “Nigeria would give his administration the support as a result of “the bond of friendship between Ghana and Nigeria”.
    He urged him to run the affairs of Ghana as no other President has done when he assumes office, emphasising that all he needs to do to stand out as a great African leader was to strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.
    Obasanjo said he was delighted to join Imo people in thanking God for what he used their governor to do, stressing that he was amazed to see Owerri town, which, he said, is different from what he used to know.
    According to him, “Rochas Okorocha was my unpaid adviser, who helped me in most of the good policies I initiated as a President. I want to congratulate him because he has changed Owerri. I know this city well. As I came in today, I was asking is this the Owerri I used to know”.
    Akufo-Addo said: “The relationship between Nigeria and Ghana should be an example of what a good relationship should be to the rest of West Africa. I am determined, following the mandate my people have conferred on me to establish good relations with the leadership of Nigeria, because together we can work for the construction of a better Africa”.
    He added: “Ghanaians value so much our relationship with Nigeria, which dates back to many years and the stronger the relationship, the better for the rest of the African region. In the next four years, I hope to improve on the living standards of the Ghana people”.
    On the Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha, he said: “I cherish the progressive zeal I have seen in Rochas and I know he is a great leader that has the passion to develop Nigeria and Africa.”
    Okorocha said the Imo Day of Thanksgiving is not for APC members in the state only, but for Imo people not minding their political affiliations.
    He added that the thanksgiving was organised for Imo people to thank God for what he did for the state and its people.
    He said everything his administration achieved would not have been possible without God.
    Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who chaired the event, described Okorocha as a statesman, who knows when to play politics and when to offer leadership to his people, adding that as the governor, he never discriminated against people based on partisan politics.

  • Ghana: Akufo-Addo wins presidential election

    Ghana: Akufo-Addo wins presidential election

    •President Mohama concedes, congratulates president-elect

    Crowds of jubilant supporters gathered outside the house of the 72-year-old New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, on Friday night as he was declared winner of Ghana’s Presidential Election that day, defeating President John Dramani Mahama.
    The jubilation spread across the streets of Accra and beyond yesterday as President Mahama conceded defeat to the former Foreign Affairs Minister and leader of the main opposition, who was making his third bid for the top job.
    Electoral umpire, Osei, said Akufo-Addo defeated President Mahama by 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent.
    “It is my duty and my privilege to declare Nana Akufo-Addo as the president-elect of Ghana,” she told a news conference in the capital, Accra, on Friday.
    Prior to Osei’s announcement, Akufo-Addo said on Twitter that Mahama called him “congratulating me on winning the 2016 presidential election”.
    “I make this solemn pledge to you tonight: I will not let you down. I will do all in my power to live up to your hopes and expectations,” Akufo-Addo told supporters in front of his residence.
    Al Jazeera quoted the president-elect as saying, “The expectations they have of me, that I’m gonna bring them a new government, a new style; a government of honesty, a government that is concerned about the welfare of our people – that basic commitment is the one I am determined to fulfill.”

  • U.S. congratulates Ghana, President-elect Akufo-Addo

    U.S. congratulates Ghana, President-elect Akufo-Addo

    The U.S. has congratulated Ghana and the country’s president-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, on the success of the Dec. 7 Poll.

    Deputy Spokesperson of U.S. Department of State, Mark Toner, in a statement issued on Friday, said the outcome of the election was a proof of Ghana’s vibrant democracy.

    “The U.S. has congratulated the people of Ghana on the successful conclusion of the December 7 general election.

    “We also congratulate President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo. The peaceful and inclusive nature of the election is a testament to Ghana’s citizens and its vibrant democracy,” he said.

    The U.S. also commended Ghana’s President, John Mahama, for demonstrating sportsmanship and statesmanship by respecting the outcome of the election, and the country’s electoral commission..

    “We commend President Mahama for respecting the results announced by the Electoral Commission, calling on his supporters to do the same.

    “We also commend him for demonstrating the leadership and commitment to democracy for which Ghana is known throughout the world.

    “We commend Ghana’s Electoral Commission for administering a credible election process.”

    He said the U.S. has also recognised the civil society organisations that contributed to a peaceful, transparent, and fair election.

    Toner said the Secretary of State, John Kerry, in a phone calls with Mahama and Akufo-Addo, said the U.S. and Ghana had a close and enduring friendship rooted in our mutual commitment to freedom and democratic values.

    “We look forward to working with President-elect Akufo-Addo and his administration on economic growth, health, governance and security in Ghana and throughout West Africa.

    “Ghana has a long tradition of peaceful democratic elections and we congratulate the country on its sustained commitment to democracy.” (NAN)