The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says, contrary to some assertions, Ghana is not a xenophobic State, and has no problems with fellow Africans living and working in the country.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “there is no xenophobia in Ghana, we are not a xenophobic State. We are the pan-African nation that has opened its doors to all Africans, and they are not going to be the object of any hate campaign in Ghana.”
The President made this known on Friday, 28th June, 2019, when he bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire to Ghana, Bernard Ehui-Koutua, who also doubles as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana.
In his remarks, the President requested the outgoing Ambassador to convey this message to President Ouattara, that Ghana continues to remain open and welcoming, especially to their brothers and sisters from all parts of the continent, saying, what every nation insists on is that, their domestic laws are respected by foreigners.
Nonetheless, he reiterated that the impression being created abroad that there is a rise in xenophobia in Ghana does not conform in any way to the truth. He stated, Ghana continue to remain an open society, welcoming, especially, to their kith and kin on this continent, urging the outgoing ambassador to convey these sentiments of his to the Ivorian President.
Describing Ambassador Ehui-Koutua’s departure as a sad day for Ghana, President Akufo-Addo stated that the outgoing Ambassador to Ghana conducted himself with great dignity, and ended up as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, adding that, he’s looking forward to deepening and strengthening the ties between the two countries, as they are the centre of integration efforts both in the region and on the continent.
With Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire bonded by ties of common blood, common history, common ethnicity and common geography, the President noted that, one of the most important, diplomatic, strategic, political relations that Ghana can have with any country is with the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire.
Agreements such as the “Strategic Partnership Agreement” signed by the two leaders of the two countries, Presidents Alasanne Ouattara and Nana Akufo-Addo, coupled with the substantial convergence of views of the two leaders on regional, continental and global matters, were highlighted by President Akufo-Addo as examples of the successes chalked by Ambassador Ehui-Koutua.
President Akufo-Addo also bid farewell to Mohammed Hussain Al-Failakawi, outgoing Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Ghana; to Mohammed Farahat, outgoing Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ghana; and to Mr. Hugues Chantry, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana.
