Mahama will engage in more travels — Hanna Tetteh

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hanna Serwah Tetteh, has warned critics of the “travelling spree’ of President John Dramani Mahama to brace themselves for more travels next year.

According to the minister, as Chairman of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS,) President Mahama will be travelling a lot in 2015 to ensure that there is peace and stability in the sub-region.

She disclosed this during a “Government for the People” forum in Cape Coast last Tuesday.

Ms.Tetteh explained that as ECOWAS chairman, the president cannot sit in the country and look on unconcerned while there are crises with regard to the deadly Ebola virus and rising political tensions in the neighbouring countries.

“How do you expect him to sit back at home and look on while Ebola is killing thousands in Liberia and the other affected countries? And how do you expect him not to go to Burkina Faso when the recent tension there can have a toll on Ghana when citizens of that country decide to seek asylum here” she asked?.

“I wonder if those criticising him for travelling too much really understand the responsibilities that come with being the chairman of ECOWAS,” she quizzed.

Ms.Tetteh added that the President will be travelling more in 2015 since most of “our neighboring countries such as Togo, Burkina Faso and Nigeria will be having their elections.”

“It is very important that as ECOWAS chair he [President Mahama] dialogues with both sides of the political parties involved in those elections to agree on terms and conditions before, during and after the elections to ensure peace in the sub-region,” she indicated.

“It was for no intangible reason that our president was voted by other heads of states to be their chairman. They knew he could deliver that was why that confidence was entrusted in him,” she said.

She announced that from 2015, the foreign affairs ministry will open a passport application office in Cape Coast so people will not have to travel to Accra or Takoradi to apply for a passport.