President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged the new Deputy African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson, Ambassador Thomas Kwesi Quartey, to help effect the vision of the continental integration.
He has also tasked Ambassador Quartey to ensure that the proposals adopted at the 28th AU Summit, which included the proposals on continental free trade and finding sustainable ways of financing the AU, were fully implemented.
President Akufo-Addo said this when Ambassadors Quartey and Victor Gbeho called on him to thank him for the support offered to the candidature of Ambassador Quartey.
Ambassador Quartey served as deputy Foreign Affairs Minister under President Mahama and also as his Executive Secretary.
To contest for the position, Ambassador Quartey received the firm support of President Akufo-Addo. He received 44 out of 54 votes cast, representing 82 per cent of votes from the Heads of State gathered.
Competency
President Akufo-Addo described Ambassador Quartey as well cut out for his role as Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
The President said he did not have any difficulty supporting Ambassador Quartey for the position and was confident that he would do a good job and hold high the flag of Ghana.
According to President Akufo-Addo, when former President John Mahama told him about presenting Thomas Kwesi Quartey as Ghana’s candidate for the position, he had no qualms about it.
“It was a very easy matter for me because he was a Ghanaian who had the spirit and competence for the job,” the President said.
Support
President Akufo-Addo noted that it was with a clean and sincere heart that “I threw my support and I am happy that we were successful. I got all the credit for it, but I believe it was a good day for Ghana.”
Ambassador Gbeho, for his part, thanked the President for the immense support and assured him that Ambassador Quartey would work diligently to justify the confidence reposed in him, as well as enhance Ghana’s image in the comity of nations.
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