Discussions on migration and refugees must include nature of African economies – Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Tuesday said discussion on migrations and refugees cannot be complete without including conversations about the nature of African economies.
He said such comprehensive discussions are one of the ways to guide the formulations of appropriate policies that would enable satisfactory solutions to the crises of refugees and migration, especially from the African continent.
President Akufo-Addo made this known on when he met with the leader of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Labour Party and leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, on the sidelines of the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), currently ongoing in the United Kingdom.
He noted that the structure of most of the economies on Africa, including Ghana, has been dependent, largely, on the production and export of raw materials.
These economies, the President noted, cannot create opportunities, wealth and prosperity for the African peoples, a situation which has fuelled the waves of migration of African youths from the Continent, who move to Europe in search of jobs.
He told Mr Corbyn that Ghana had decided to turn its back on the old economy, and focus her energies on building an industrialised, value-added economy, with a modernised agriculture, which takes full advantage of the digital revolution.
President Akufo-Addo noted that Ghana and the United Kingdom continue to maintain strong bonds of friendship and co-operation, adding that the UK remains one of Ghana’s most significant trading partners, and a major source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Again, as members of the Commonwealth, he noted that Ghana and the United Kingdom continued to share common values of democratic accountability, good governance, respect for individual liberties and human rights, and the rule of law.
President Akufo-Addo and Jeremy Corbyn also discussed issues bordering on the deepening of democracy amongst member states of the Commonwealth, the worsening humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria, United Nations Reforms, in particular reform of the UN Security Council, BREXIT, an increase in trade co-operation between Ghana and the UK, and migration.
He invited the Labour Party leader, whose parliamentary constituency of Islington North has a high concentration of Ghanaians, to visit Ghana later in the year, an invitation which was warmly accepted by Jeremy Corbyn.
The President left Ghana on Saturday, April 14, 2018, to attend the 25th CHOGM on the theme “Towards a Common Future”. The event will end on Friday, April 20, 2018.
Heads of Government in the Commonwealth are expected to address shared global challenges, and agree on actions to create a better future for all.
On the side-lines of the Summit, President Akufo-Addo would also hold meetings with British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson; Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan; and the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William.
The President would also deliver the keynote address at the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce Investment Summit; speak at the Malaria Summit, hosted by Bill Gates; attend the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council Business Forum; and, on Saturday, April 21, 2018, deliver the keynote speech at the London School of Economics Africa Summit, on the theme “Africa at Work: Educated, Employed and Empowered”.
He would return to Ghana on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Source: GNA