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President Akufo-Addo leaves for Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, London
The President of the Republic and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Sunday, 13th December 2020, for Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea.
President Akufo-Addo is, on Monday, 14th December, attending the swearing-in ceremony of His Excellency Alassane Ouattara, President-elect of Cote d’Ivoire, in Abidjan, and will, on Tuesday, 14th December 2020, attend the swearing-in ceremony of the President-elect of the Republic of Guinea, His Excellency Professor Alpha Condé.
The President will from December 15, be in London for a private visit.
He is accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP, and officials of the Presidency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Monday, 21st December 2020. In his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
