Akufo-Addo: ‘I am something of a Trinidadian’

GHANAIAN President Nana Akufo-Addo says he is “something of a Trinidadian,” having visited in the 1980s for Carnival for a number of years as part of a group of West Africans.

At yesterday’s media conference with the Prime Minister, he said a number of important Trinidadians have had an impact on his country, including Marxist historian and socialist CLR James and pan-Africanist George Padmore. Padmore was one of the closest aides of Ghana’s first prime minister and president Kwame Nkrumah and has a library named after him in Accra. He also mentioned St Lucian Nobel economics laureate Sir Arthur Lewis, who is responsible for much of the country’s development plans.

“The Ghanaian people remain appreciative of their work.”

Akufo-Addo said when he thinks of Trinidad, the first thing he thinks of is calypso, and paid homage to some of the great calypsonians, namely Lord Kitchener, Lord Beginner, Sparrow and Calypso Rose, “whose rhythms and music still fascinate and captivate.”

He said for the past two and a half years of his administration, the paths of the two countries have crossed on several areas of concern. He reported Republic Bank is one of the leading banks in Ghana and a petrochemical plant was being developed. He also reported Ghanaian companies in TT were trading in chocolate, exports of wax prints and shea butter.

Akufo-Addo said his visit was a reciprocal one after Dr Rowley visited in May 2016.