Prez. Akufo-Addo swears in Ayorkor Botchwey in Addis Ababa

• Posted on January 30, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President Akufo-Addo arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Saturday evening on board the presidential jet together with a delegation to attend the 28^th Africa Union (AU) Summit.

Hours later, he swore in his Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Anyaa-Sowutuom, at the Ghana Embassy in a fashion similar to the recent swearing-in of The Gambian President, Adama Barrow, in that country’s embassy in Senegal.

The president did that because Madam Ayorkor Botchwey missed the swearing-in of the first batch of ministers-designate, who had been approved by Ghana’s parliament last Friday.

She was then in the Ethiopian capital as part of government delegation to the AU Summit, which has been themed, “Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in the youth.”

President Akufo-Addo administered the oaths of allegiance, minister and secrecy that come with the office the Foreign Minister will be occupying.

Present at the short ceremony were Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo; Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye; Director of Communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin; Minister for Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah; Minister-designate for Aviation, Madam Cecilia Dapaah; Director of State Protocol, Hassan Ahmed; Ambassador Kwesi Quartey – who is running for the position of Deputy Chairman of the AU Commission – Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, former President of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Commission and a host of others, including embassy officials.

In a short speech, President Akufo-Addo told Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, “I am convinced you are going to do a good job. I have confidence in you; that is why I appointed you; you were a good deputy to me when I was the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.”

He specifically charged the minister to be committed to the advancement of what he called ‘the Pan-African project’ in view of the pioneering role Ghana  played in uniting the continent under the leadership of the country’s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He urged her, “Let’s do all we can to advance the Pan-African cause. It’s a good sign that you are being inducted into office at Addis Ababa” at the same time the AU summit is taking place].

Whiles acknowledging the uniqueness of her swearing-in taking place in a foreign land, the minister, on her part, thanked the president for the opportunity given her to serve the government and the people of Ghana.

She could not but associate herself with her colleagues’ earlier promise to serve the best interest of the nation while pledging to hold the flag of Ghana in high esteem and improving the living conditions of Ghanaians.

The meeting of heads of state will take place today Monday, January 30 and Tuesday 31.

The president and the Ghanaian delegation are expected back home in Ghana on Wednesday, February 1.

At the time of filing this report, a retreat for heads of state was still underway.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia