President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday swore into office the members of the Governing Council of the National African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to oversee Ghana’s second review under the Peer Review Mechanism.
The members of the Council are Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, Mr Richard Quayson, Mr Samuel Akuamoah Asare, Mr Laud Mansfield Baddoo, MrsGiftyAfenyi-Dadzie, Ms Kathleen Quartey Ayensu and Mr David Asante-Apeatu.
President Akufo-Addo described the members on the governing council as eminently qualified to serve and expressed optimism that the seven-member committee would discharge the mandate satisfactorily.
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was adopted by Member States of the African Union (AU), within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), as a self-monitoring tool.
The APRM is a vehicle for sharing experiences, reinforcing best practices, identifying deficiencies and assessing capacity-building needs to foster polices, standards, and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated regional and continental integration.
According to the President, Ghana’s role in the APRM had been pivotal since its inception, stating that “following Ghana’s accession to the APRM, a National African Peer Review Mechanism Council was established and inaugurated in 2004 to provide the needed oversight for the implementation of the APRM process in the country.”
“We fulfilled our primary mandate through the conduct of the first-ever country self-assessment. Under the leadership of the 2nd President of Ghana’s 4th Republic, John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana became the first country to offer to be peer-reviewed in 2006 at the AU Summit in Khartoum, and continues to contribute to the APRM process on the continent,” he said.
Reiterating Ghana’s commitment to the African Peer Review Mechanism and her determination to submit herself to a second review, he indicated that “the realisation of this will mean that Ghana is able to join others on the continent who has undertaken their second reviews.”
President Akufo-Addo assured the Governing Council of government’s determination to ensure the second review is done, “so our country can continue to maintain and strengthen its status as a trailblazer of good governance in West Africa.”
Notwithstanding the challenges of insufficient budgetary allocation and office accommodation, the President applauded the council for the work it has done so far, and assured them that the deficiencies will be soon addressed.
“I have been informed of the process currently ongoing for the enactment of an enabling Act of Parliament for the Council, which I hope would be expedited. Ghana, despite her enviable position within the APRM, has never been represented on the African Peer Review Panel (APRP). This is a charge I am putting before you, distinguished Members of the Council. Demonstrate to the continent, once again, Ghana’s worth and capability by getting her onto the APRP,” he added.
Mr Samuel Ankoma Asare, who spoke on behalf of the committee, thanked the President for the opportunity to serve and pledged to discharge the role professionally.
“We will dedicate ourselves to achieving the objectives of the APRM,” he said and commended the President for his commitment to addressing the challenges the council was facing.
BY YAW KYEI
