By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, May 13, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in two new envoys accredited to Japan and Ethiopia.
They are Mr Humprey Chatio Ajongbah, Ambassador to Japan and Mr McArios Akanbeanab Akanbong, Ambassador to Ethiopia.
The swearing-in ceremony, which took place in the Credentials Hall of the Presidency in Accra, was witnessed by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Foreign Affairs Minister; Mr Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency and Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogari, Presidential Advisor and Special Aide to the President.
President Mahama in his remarks congratulated the two new envoys on their swearing-in as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan and Ethiopia representing Ghana.
“You have been career diplomas for several years and I think you understand your jobs. You are not political appointees who have to go to great lengths to be coached on what we expect of you.”
President Mahama said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had designed key performance indicators that the envoys might follow.
He noted that the job of ambassadors had changed from just diplomacy and protocol to working in the economic interests of their country abroad.
Addressing the new envoy to Japan, President Mahama said Ghana had a very long standing relationship with Japan.
“Next year we are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations with Japan. Aside from that, Japan has a quite strong link with Ghana in terms of the arrival of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi on our shores and his death in Ghana.” The President said.
He noted that Dr Noguchi died in Ghana and so Japan takes that relationship very seriously.
He said apart from that, Ghana was the first country Japan started sending their overseas cooperation volunteers to 50 years ago, their overseas volunteers arrived here.
President Mahama said it created special relations and that Japan had as a result of that been very benevolent and generous to Ghana over the years in terms of their economic relations of which the new envoy should continue that tradition.
“We’re working on several important projects including the new bridge over the Southern Volta River in Volivo, which is called the Volivo Bridge and several projects that we have signed a partnership agreement with them,” he said.
“And so, you’re going to continue to work on all these and make sure that during your period as Ambassador you are able to bring all these to fruition.”
Touching on the Ghana-Ethiopia relation, President Mahama said Addis Ababa was virtually the capital of Africa and that they go there every year at least once for the AU meeting.
The President noted that Mr Akanbong was going to Addis Ababa at a significant time, when Ghana was currently the First Vice Chair to the Bureau and that ECOWAS had nominated Ghana unopposed as the Chair for the AU when it get to West Africa’s turn.
“And so, we’ are going to assume a one-year championship of the AU and that means that as Ambassador you are going to be extremely busy, especially at the time when people have really begun to complain about whether the AU is serving the purpose for which we all created it.” The President stated.
“And I wish you all the best in taking up your careers and then. And I wish you Godspeed when you take your jobs.”
Mr McArios Akanbeanab Akanbong, Ghana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, on behalf of his colleague thanked President Mahama for the privilege granted to them to serve the nation.
“Your Excellency, we assure you that you shall find in us your true and worthy representatives,” the President said.
“We commit fully to represent you with honour dignity and integrity and to work assiduously to secure Ghana’s core interests as reflected in our Constitution and your reset agenda.”
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei