New US Ambassador Jackson presents letter of credence to President Mahama
The new US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson, has presented his credentials to President John Mahama and officially taken up duties as ambassador.
Speaking from the ceremony at Flagstaff House on February 3, Ambassador Jackson was reported to have thanked President Mahama for the warm welcome to Ghana and highlighted the US/Ghanaian partnership in four key areas – democracy, prosperity, security and health – and expressed the US’s commitment to deepening that partnership further.
“We believe, as the president of the United States said, that our successes are mutually tied and our partnership is indispensable.”
“In looking at prosperity and economic growth, it’s clear that addressing the energy issues through Power Africa and the Millennium Challenge Compact will take us a long way. In addition, I believe that our investments in agriculture and our partnership in education will also ensure that we can build opportunities for Ghanaian youth,” he was quoted as saying.
Ambassador Jackson was also reported to have underscored the US collaboration with Ghana on armed forces training and on programmes to address HIV/AIDS, malaria, nutrition, food security, terrorism, and trafficking.
On the November elections in both Ghana and the United States, the Ambassador Jackson was reported to have said: “This is a unique year for our democracies. In November, your country will vote. Twenty-four hours later, my country will go to the polls. And in both cases, I’m confident that we will continue the tradition of peaceful, credible elections.”
“I feel that it’s worth restating that the United States’ interest is only in the credibility of the election. It’s up to the people of Ghana to decide their future. We look forward to working with the Electoral Commission and civil society to assist in supporting those elections.”
Jackson served as the US Department of State’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs from 2013 to 2015 and was the US Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon from 2010 to 2013.
According to the American Embassy, Ambassador Jackson’s previous overseas assignments include Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in Morocco, Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in Senegal, Political/Economic Counselor, Cote d’Ivoire; Political-Military Officer, Portugal; Chief of the Political Section, Zimbabwe; Political/Economic Officer in Burundi; and Consular/Economic Officer in Montreal, Canada.
He has also served in Washington, D.C., as the Director of the Office for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy; as the Country Officer for Zimbabwe, Botswana and Nigeria; and as the Coordinator of the Entry-Level Officer Training Program and Deputy Director of the Orientation Division at the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute.
By Emmanuel Odonkor