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President Akufo-Addo Recieves Credentials Of Six Envoys
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 17th October, 2023 received the letters of credence from six new Ambassadors and High Commissioners at a brief presentation event to mark the beginning of their tour of duty to Ghana, at the Jubilee House in Accra.
They are H.E. David Kabre of Burkina Faso, H.E. Rosa Liliana Gomez Cardenas De Weston of Peru, H.E. Daniel Mahongo of Zambia, H.E. Kittisak Klomchit of Thailand, H.E. Andrew Augustus Wilson of The Bahamas and H.E. Amaury Justo Duarte of the Dominican Republic.
Interacting with President Akufo-Addo, David Kabre, pledged to deepen the longstanding relationship between the two countries by resuming and holding Joint Cooperation Committees, continuing negotiations on the railway interconnection projects between the two countries and the Bolgatanga-Po pipeline project. He also committed to strengthening military and security cooperation as part of the fight against terrorism.
H.E. Rosa Liliana Gomez Cardenas De Weston of Peru conveyed her willingness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of political consultation that offers the opportunity to identify key areas of cooperation, whilst H.E. Daniel Mahongo of Zambia, promised to leverage on existing ties between Ghana and Zambia which has been further strengthened with the recent state visit of Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema.
H.E. Kittisak Klomchit of Thailand, offered to support Ghana’s efforts in rice growing to reduce the import burden on the staple for Ghana, whereas, H.E. Andrew Augustus Wilson of The Bahamas, said, the struggles for self-determination, sovereignty, identity and reparatory justice, form the foundation of the strong cultural and diplomatic connection between the two countries.
On behalf of the Dominican Republic and President Luis Abinader, H.E. Amaury Justo Duarte, who is based in Morocco, said, as part of continued efforts towards strengthening relations Ghana and the Dominican Republic, we commemorated the 4th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between, and added, we are two friendly and like-minded countries that share a history of fighting for independence and democracy.”
Recounting specific areas of cooperation, President Akufo-Addo, promised even deeper ties of support, collaboration and people-to-people engaas well as bilateral engagements between Ghana and their respective countries, and wished them well on their tour of duty.
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
