The Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Ghana, Mr Lim Jung-Taek, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam of Ghana, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, in Accra.
The visit was to, among other things, foster ties between the two offices for the benefit of Korea and Ghana.
Mr Jung-Taek told the Chief Imam Ghana was the first country in Africa that he was posted to as ambassador, having worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for three decades.
He said that before his arrival in Ghana in December 2020, he and most Koreans had known Ghana as a chocolate producing country.
But after one- and-a-half years of his duty tour, he had found that the two countries shared great similarities.
The Korean envoy said he would work to deepen the bond of friendship between Ghana and the Republic of Korea.
Mr Jung-Taek stated that Korea was a democratic, peace loving country that loved to see other countries, including Ghana, prosper, and added that he would do his best to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.
Every year, Mr Jung-Taek said Ghanaian officials and students were offered training opportunities and scholarships to study in Korea.
The Korean Ambassador, who was accompanied by Mr Sung-hyun Nam, Deputy Head and Counsellor of the Korean Embassy in Ghana, and Mohammed Naziru Mohammed, Energy and Infrastructure Advisor, also at the Korean Embassy, donated undisclosed cash amount of money and Korean ginseng, a herbal supplement, to the National Chief Imam.
Speaking through his spokesperson, Sheikh Aremeyew Shaibu, the Chief Imam expressed his profound gratitude to the Korean Ambassador for his visit and the donation.
He said that he was impressed with Korea’s investment in Ghana’s education and energy.
In his remarks, Mr Mohammed said Ghana had been a beneficiary of Korea’s benevolence.
He said in 2020, Ghana received $200 million concessionary loan from the Korean Government and that when COVID-19 was wreaking havoc across globe, Korea was one of the few countries that supplied Ghana with Personal Protective Equipment ((PPE) as well as vaccines.
Mr Yasin Billy, the Executive Director of A Better Community for All (ABC4All), a non-governmental organisation committed to the course of international relations, tourism, energy and climate change, thanked the National Chief Imam for keeping his doors opened, the Korean Ambassador for visiting the Muslim leader.
Later in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, Mr Yasin, a grand son of the Chief Imam, said Korea had tremendously contributed to the development of Ghana and that she deserved commendation.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
