Pres Akufo-Addo Dismisses Xenophobic Tagging of Ghana

By Yaw Kyei

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has dismissed the concerns and allegations by some nationals from neighbouring West African countries that Ghana has become a xenophobic country.

According to him, Ghana is not a xenophobic state, and has no problems with fellow Africans living and working in the country.

"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," President Akufo-Addo said.

The President refuted the accusation last Friday when he bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire to Ghana, Bernard Ehui-Koutua, who also doubled as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo told the outgoing Ambassador to convey the message to President Ouattara that Ghana remained open and welcoming, especially to its brothers and sisters from all parts of the continent.

"What we do insist on, which is what every nation insists on, is that our own domestic laws are respected by those who come into our country, and, in so saying, we are no different from other people," he said.

He said stated that the erroneous impression being created abroad that there was a rise in xenophobia in Ghana did not conform to reality.

"We continue to remain an open society, welcoming, especially, to our kith and kin on this continent. So, I will like you, in very, very strong terms, to convey these sentiments of mine to your president back home," the President indicated.

President Akufo-Addo described Ambassador Ehui-Koutua's departure as a sad day for Ghana, adding that, "He conducted himself with great dignity, and ended up as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps".

"Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire are bonded by ties of common blood, common history, common ethnicity and common geography," the President noted, adding 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.

"I am looking forward to deepening and strengthening the ties between our two countries. We are at the centre of integration efforts both in the region and on the continent. We will continue to walk side by side as we have been doing these past years," President Akufo-Addo added.

President Akufo-Addo also bid farewell to Mohammed Hussain Al-Failakawi, outgoing Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Ghana; Mohammed Farahat, outgoing Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ghana, and Mr Hugues Chantry, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana.

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