Ghana holds flag raising ceremony to mark 54th anniversary of IOL

A flag raising ceremony was yesterday held at the forecourt of the State House in commemoration of the 54th Anniversary of the International Organisation of La Francophone (IOL).

This year’s event was on the theme: “Creation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship”, and was attended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ministers of State, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, security agencies, selected school children and other members of the public.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, hoisted the flag of Ghana on behalf of the people of Ghana, while the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Maher Kheir, hoisted that of the IOL.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana must seize opportunity to deepen engagement with its Francophone partners while exploring new avenues for cooperation in areas such as education, trade, and sustainable development.

He said as a country bordered to the North, East and West, by French speaking countries, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana recognised the strategic importance of its immediate neighbours who were bound by profound ties of blood, geography and history.

President Akufo-Addo said his government was determined to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation with La Francophonie by transitioning from an associate member to a full member, adding that “Ghana with a strong functioning democracy shares the aims and values of Lanka of La Francophonie, and we look forward to playing a significant role in the realisation of these values”.

He explained that by 2050, the number of French speakers will rise to over 700,000, with about 80 per cent of them from Africa.

“Our lives therefore, as Ghanaians, are intimately linked with the Francophone world, and this welcome association will serve as a big boost to addressing some of our national concern. Our goal is to live one day in a bilingual Ghana where both English and French are spoken together with our own indigenous languages,” he added.

The President said his government had introduced a bilingual classroom project at the basic education level where certain subjects are taught in both English and French.

In addition to this, he said, government initiated the teacher mobility programme in November 2021, and this had seen some 20 French teaching teachers contribute to enhancing the quality of the teaching of French in Ghana.

“The achievements and success of this programme have led to its renewal for a two-year period. In light of the recent left on the moratorium on new memberships, and continued support from the IOL Secretariat, I’m pleased to inform you that Ghana has made substantial strides in our pursuit of full membership,” he emphasised.

He said Ghana was poised to submit its application for change in status and optimistic that the provided information would meet all relevant requirements, adding, “We are very hopeful that the 20/24 summit in France later this year will mark Ghana’s transition to full membership status within the IOL.

Mr Maher Kheir, who is also the dean of the diplomatic corps, on his part, called on member states of the IOL to reaffirm their commitment to the values of the organisation, adding, “Let us reaffirm our commitment to the values of democracy, human rights and comprehensive development.”

He noted that the commemoration of the day was one that reminded member states of their rich tapestry of cultures, languages and tradition.

 “The Francophonie stands as a beacon of linguistic and cultural diversity, where the French language serves as a bridge connecting people across borders and continents. It is a testament to the lasting power of language to unite, inspire and empower individuals to strive for a better world,” he concluded.

BY CLIFF EKUFUL

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