Akufo-Addo Takes Oath As Ghana’s New President

Nana Akufo-Addo takes the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony in Accra [Luc Gnago/Reuters]

Before a roaring crowd including local and foreign guests, Nana Akufo-Addo Saturday took office as Ghana’s fifth president, promising to stamp out government corruption and kick start the private sector.

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The 72-year-old former human rights lawyer declared that being a Ghanaian must come with a code of conduct.

“It is time to define what being a Ghanaian ought to mean. Being a Ghanaian must mean you sign up to a definable code of conduct,” he said in his inaugural address at the Independence Square.

“Being a Ghanaian is an obligation on each of us to work to building a fair and prosperous nation,” he added.

Wearing a traditional robe draped over one shoulder, Akufo-Addo waved a gold sword — a symbol of Ghana’s presidency – and said:“We no longer have any excuses for being poor.

“We must restore integrity in public life. State coffers are not spoils for the party that wins an election, but resources for the country’s social and economic development.

He vowed to put Ghana “back on the path of progress and prosperity” after an economic slump under Mahama that led to an International Monetary Fund bail-out.

The new president spoke of his determination to support entrepreneurs and attract investors to the country, which has suffered from lacklustre growth in recent years.

“We will reduce taxes to recover the momentum of our economy,” Akufo-Addo said.

Eleven African heads of state including Presidents Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria), Egdar  Lungu (Zambia), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Ali Bongo Ondimba (Gabon), Ernest Bai Koroma (Sierra Leone) attended the ceremony as were Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Also in attendance were Akufo-Addo’s immediate predecessor, John Dramani Mahama, and former leaders John Rawlings and John Kufuor,

President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire was the Special Guest of Honour.

Accra police enforced tight security during the inauguration, with major roads in and around the venue cordoned off.

Traders set up stalls nearby hoping to cash in on the ceremony by selling Ghana flags and white, red and blue paraphernalia from Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party.