The king of Igbo community in Ghana, Eze Dr Ambassador Chukwudi J. Ihenetu has congratulated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his election as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
President Akufo-Addo was elected on Monday, September 7 in Niamey, Niger, taking over from the President of Niger.
Speaking to the press in Accra yesterday, Dr Ihenetu said the honour conferred on the President was a blessing to Ghana and humanity as the country goes to polls on December 7, 2020.
“This is a blessing to Ghana and humanity. Ghana is going into elections within a short time and this blessing came to Ghana. I am using this opportunity to congratulate the President for this honourable honour conferred on him,” he stated.
Dr Ihenetu also used the opportunity to call on President Akufo-Addo to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ghana and Nigeria to improve trade within the West African sub-region.
He implored the President to look into the ECOWAS law which allows free movement and free trade as the law tramples on the rights of ECOWAS citizens within the West African sub regions.
“I will plead with the President to look into the Ghana-Nigeria trade. As a father of ECOWAS, I don’t think he will be sleeping and allow ECOWAS citizens to be chased away from his country. I beg the President to do something about it to bring development to the ECOWAS sub region,” he added.
Dr Ihenetu announced the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the annual New Yam Festival being celebrated every year in the country.
According to him, this had become necessary due to the challenges associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“The Igbo Yam Festival is celebrated every third week in September and was supposed to be held on September 19, 2020, but we have postponed it to next year due to the huge number of visitors we receive,” he added.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
