Prez back home from AU session in Addis Ababa

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo returned home yesterday after participating in the 28th Ordinary Session of African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He was met at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief of Staff, Ms Akosua Frema Osei Opare, Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Abu Jinapor, the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP David Asante-Apeatu and ministers of State, including the Minister of National Security, Mr Kan Dapaah, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, and the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul.

Briefing journalists on the summit before the arrival of the President, the Minister-designate for Information, Mr Mustapha Hamid said the African leaders discussed a wide-range of issues towards the advancement of the African continent.

Youth development

He said the AU recognised that the continent had more than 200 million youth, aged between 18 and 35 and had, therefore, directed all African governments, “to invest more in youth development in order to take advantage of the demographic advantage we have.”

Consequently, the union had selected the President of Chad, Mr Iddris Derby to champion the course of the youth on the continent and to draw action plans that would compel all African leaders to buy into the idea of harnessing the demographic dividend.

Free trade

Mr Hamid said the continental body was of the view that the only way the continent could develop was to increase trade among its countries.

He said currently, the trade volume among African countries was only 10 per cent, a situation which the African leaders thought was unacceptable

Mr Hamid said the AU had, therefore, stressed the need for all countries to open their borders to one another, “in other words, we must develop and open our air spaces, and our boarders for the free movement of goods and people of the African continent.”

He said Egypt and Ethiopia were commended for championing that cause, citing for instance that Ethiopia had developed a rail line linking it and Djibouti, while Egypt had also developed a good rail line linking it to the further point of that country.

Mr Hamid told journalists that the AU had, therefore, tasked all other African countries to develop such transportation system.

Levies

On the financing of the AU, Mr Hamid told journalists that the AU had levied all member countries an additional 0.2 per cent on import to free the continental body from relying on other nations for financing its activities.

He explained that that had become necessary following the inability of African countries to contribute the entire $400 to $500 million annual budget.

The Minister-designate said all Africa member states were able to contribute only between $150 to $180 million, while the remaining was funded by international bodies and foreign donors, which the union said was unacceptable.