More than 12 heads of state and other dignitaries from across the world are expected to grace the investiture and swearing-in ceremony of the President-elect and Vice President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to be held at Parliament House in Accra tomorrow.
Among those expected are the Presidents of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Togo, Niger, Chad, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Other dignitaries expected are the foreign affairs ministers for Nigeria, Gambia India, France and Rwanda.
The United Kingdom Minister for Africa will represent his country, while the U.S Special Envoy responsible for the Sahel will represent the United States of America.
Also in attendance will be the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Chair Person of the African Union Commission.
Briefing the media in Accra yesterday on preparations towards the event, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said the work of the inauguration committee was in consonance with the provisions of the Presidential Transitional Act of 2012, Act 845.
She explained that, section 4(a) of the act provided for the creation of an inauguration committee, under the Presidential Transition Team to organise the swearing-in of the President-elect and the Vice President before Parliament.
Consequent to this, she noted that the swearing-in would be performed before and within the precincts of Parliament in keeping with the 1992 Constitution.
“It is a purely parliamentary activity and parliament which is a master of its own procedures, will take full charge of the proceedings.
Ms Botchwey said the ceremony was expected to begin at 11:00 a.m. prompt and all guests, with exception of heads of state, expected to be seated by 9:45a.m.
Touching on persons to attend the ceremony, she said 12 heads of state had so far confirmed their participation and more confirmations were expected as the day drew closer.
She explained that as part of the protocols, all foreign dignitaries attending the inauguration would have the appropriate courtesies extended to them in line with standard protocol.
Additionally, she said a welcome desk would be set up at the airport (terminal three) and would be managed by designated protocol, liaison and security officers to facilitate the smooth participation of the various delegations in the ceremony.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
