Let’s Push For Africa Integration …Akufo-Addo Tells Benin Prez.

By Frank Amponsah

The President ofGhana, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo saidGhana remains committed, ready to enter and intensify and enhance its commitment for the process of integration of the African sub-region towards meeting the efforts of achieving a common currency regime.

The President was responding to issues raised by his Benin counterpart, President Patrice Talon yesterday when he arrived in Ghana on a day’s visit.

According to President Akufo-Addo the two nations must look at what can be done to accelerate a common currency regime, and that much attention needed to be given to the efforts being made by the President of Niger, President Mahamadou Issoufou in that regard.

He said, to be able to achieve much, there is the need for countries to look at initiating their regional projects as powerful motor for moving the integration agenda and promote common response in the sub-region and amass resources against terrorism.

Nana Akufo-Addo maintained that it is in the economic interest of Ghana and her enterprises for the process of West African integration to succeed and become real as soon as possible.

He noted that government’s program for Ghana’s social and economic transformation, is moved by a monetary policy that will stabilize the currency and reduce significantly the cost of borrowing.

Akufo-Addo said a genuine regional market in West Africa should be in our economic interest, since that will present immense opportunities to bring prosperity to the peoples of the region.

The President also said a functioning, common regional market in ECOWAS has to be a very fundamental objective of Ghanaians, and the peoples and governments of West Africa, and those leaders must do whatever they can to strengthen the ECOWAS community by reconvening the Permanent Joint Commission.

He urged all who believe in regional integration to give enthusiastic support to Community decisions and inspire confidence and integrity in the structural organs of ECOWAS.

President Patrice Talon of Benin also touched on the importance of Africa integration and said there was the need for countries to strengthen their efforts towards ssecurity.

He said: “It is time for us to exchange ideas on issues which concern our bilateral cooperation. It is time now to settle and strengthen our economic and political partnership between Ghana and Benin.”

President arrived in Ghana on Wednesday for a day’s State visit that is expected to boost ties between both West African nations.

He was met on arrival at the Jubilee Lounge of the Kotoka International Airport by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, after which he inspected a full guard of honour mounted by the Ghana Air Force.

Both leaders held bilateral talks at the Flagstaff House.

Benin and Ghana have had relations bothering on politics, economics and culture dating back to 1962.

Both have followed similar socio-economic development strategies since attaining independence, with both countries sharing similar orientation and common positions on issues of international concern.

The socio-economic cooperation between both nations have been conducted mostly within the framework of a Ghana-Benin Permanent Joint Commission, signed in August 1976 and ratified on February 8, 1979.

The two nations have within the framework of the Permanent Joint Commission, concluded various agreements of cooperation ranging from tourism, agriculture, road transport, telecommunications, health, extradition, civil aviation, with the last being a Protocol Agreement on military cooperation signed in Accra in October 2011.

The two leaders used the occasion to further deepen ties of cooperation between Benin and Ghana.