By Stephen Asante
Accra, April 05, GNA – Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema, will join President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to grace the 2023 graduation ceremony of the Valley View University (VVU), slated for July 09, in Accra, the University authorities have disclosed.
President Hichilema, who took office in August 2021, is a lay leader of the SDA Church, and first Adventist to become a president in Africa.
The two dignitaries, expected to be honoured at the event, will be the highlight of the historic occasion.
It is designed to boost people-to-people relations of the two Anglophone countries, especially within the church’s environment as well as the long-standing diplomatic ties existing between the respective Governments.
“This year’s graduation, you will be our Special Guests of Honour.
“It will be a big day, and your presence will make it bigger.” Pastor Dr. Thomas Techie Ocran, President, Southern Ghana Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church Ghana, and also the VVU Council Chair, told President Nana Akufo-Addo, when the VVU authorities paid a courtesy call on him, at the Jubilee House, Accra.
The visit was to officially invite Ghana’s President for the impending graduation ceremony, while seeking his assistance to facilitate the coming of the Zambian President.
Professor William Kofi Koomson, the VVU Vice-Chancellor (VC), Pastor Dr Kwame Annor-Boahen, President of the Northern Ghana Union Conference, SDA Church Ghana, who is also the Vice Council Chair, were part of the delegation to the Jubilee House.
VVU, the first private university in Ghana to be granted a Charter, was established in 1979 by the West African Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists (now Ghana Union Conference).
In 1997, it was absorbed into the Adventist university system operated by the West-Central Africa Division (WAD) with headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ghana Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (organised in 2000) serves as the local manager of the University, whose vision is to be a leading center of excellence for value-based Christian education.
Its mission is to foster a harmonious development of the physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual faculties of students and staff in a well-designed and sound learning research environment for meaningful service to God and humanity.
Pastor Dr. Techie Ocran said Ghana and Zambia had been outstanding in the global Adventist Church, therefore, it was appropriate for them to work together in promoting the cause of humanity.
The visiting delegation took time to pray for the President, nation and people.
President Nana Akufo-Addo described the Zambian President as a “personal friend.”
In view of this, he was looking forward to his visit to the country to grace the occasion.
The President lauded the VVU for living up to its vision and mission over the years for the benefit of the Ghanaian society.
GNA