African leaders advised to partner each other

Tema, July 22, GNA - Leaders of African countries have been urged to forge strong economic and social ties with each other similar to what they build with the Western countries.

Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Mantse, who made the call, said it was time African countries saw each other as partners instead of competitors to enable them learn from themselves to promote the growth of the continent.

Nii Kraku said this when a delegation from the Association of Senior Staffs of Bank, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) from Nigeria paid a courtesy call on him in Tema Manhean. He indicated that African leaders often concentrated on building bilateral relations with Western countries due to benefits they derived from such partnerships but added that they could learn a lot from the experiences of their colleagues on the continent. The Tema Manste suggested that instead of getting experts from Western countries to train Ghanaians on oil production, government could enter into a training agreement with its Nigerian counterpart to tap their rich experience in the oil sector.

Mr Hassan Adeleku, National President of NUBIFIE said the delegation was in the country for a one week working visit. He noted that currently about six Nigerian banks were operating in Ghana, and the visit would enable them to discuss and find solutions to issues affecting its members which would enable them to contribute more to the growth of the Ghanaian economy. Mr Adeleku announced that plans were underway to transform Afribank, a Nigerian mortgage institution operating in the country into a commercial bank to benefit the general public.

The acting National President of ASSBIFI, Mr Sunday Olusoji Salako, thanked the Tema Traditional Council for the warm welcome and congratulated Ghanaians for their growing economy and democracy. Mr Salako stated that peace is an important element that attracts investors and therefore assured that more Nigerian banks would be opening branches in Ghana due to the relative peace in the country. He called for a strong banking sector in Ghana which he said showed a growing economy. 22 July 09