THURSDAY JUNE 8th, 2017
H.E. REV. DR. PRINCE A.Z.K. ADEKOYA, II, RARE AUDIENCE WITH HIS EXCELLENCY NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
On Thursday, June 8th, 2017, I attended the New York University Town Hall Meeting, where I had the singular honor and rare privilege of having a one-on-one interactive dialogue with His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana. I also had the Royal honor of meeting with His Majesty Nana Oduro Appiako II, TH Kpedomhene of Denkyiraman Traditional Area in Ghana. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was in New York to attend the United Nations High-Level Meeting to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 4. He was also scheduled to attend the World Oceans Day events, and make a statement at the plenary meeting of the Oceans Conference at the UN General Assembly. In attendance at the NYU Town Hall Meeting, which was proficiently Hosted by Professor Yaw Nyarko, Professor of Economics, Founding Director, NYU Africa House, Director of NYU, AD, CTED and Mr. Kingsley P. Essegbey, Assistant Research Scientist/Assistant Director, NYU Africa House, were the Hon. Commissioner Aboubacar Koyate and President of the Newark African Commission, Newark , New Jersey, Honorable Barbara King. Organized by NYU Africa House and the Ghana Consulate in New York, I met with President Addo, Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba, the Ghanaian Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and the Deputy Chief of Staff And Political Assistant to the President. In an in-depth discussion on my pet project "My Daughter Your Daughter" (MDYD), we considered, in very pertinent detail, the increasing and rather disturbing waves of child trafficking, forced labor, deprivation of education, domestic violence and abuse suffered by young women across the length and breadth of the African continent. President Addo was so obviously and poignantly touched about these distressing issues that he actually instructed Minister Otiko to ensure that she establishes sustained dialogue and interaction with me on the issues. His Excellency, The President, was totally astute, brilliantly articulate and perfectly eloquent on pressing challenging issues that his country is currently facing, especially with regards to what he considers the way forward to make Ghana more competitive on the global platform. He updated the community about investment opportunities and current developments in Ghana, and his zeal to put an end to corruption and injustice in Ghana. He also spoke extensively on infrastructure, education, the diaspora, job creation, transparency and other, sundry issues challenging his government. Having spent five month in office, he was in a position to detail his accomplishments, and the hurdles he is facing, even as he sought the support of the diaspora to assist him in securing the right for Ghanaians to vote from abroad through the absentia ballot system. Altogether, it was a great and most enlightening experience having such an intelligent and insightful dialogue with the President. I sincerely and whole-heartedly congratulate him on his new appointment by the United Nations. H.E. (Amb.) Rev. Dr. Prince A.Z.K. Adekoya, II. snipe1.com