Ministry of Foreign Affairs gets temporary office

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration would operate temporarily from the Accra International Conference Centre, from Monday, October 26, due to the fire out break that damaged its premises.

A statement issued to the Ghana News Agency by Mr Kodjo Wadee, a director at the ministry on Saturday, on behalf of the sector minister notified the Office of the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the Ministry of Information, Diplomatic Missions in Ghana, Ghana's Missions abroad to take note of the change of office premises. President John Atta Mills who visited the office premises on Thursday, October 22, assured workers of the Ministry of government's intention to relocate them to an appropriate place to continue with their work. "We have already had consultations with some officials and very soon we will let you know what our position is. But my word of advice to you is that do not be discouraged, I know that we are determined to do something for you," he said.

President Mills arrived at the premises of the burnt ministry three minutes after Vice President John Dramani Mahama had arrived at 0925 hours to ascertain the extent of damage caused by Wednesday night's fire. He said a committee would be set up to investigate the cause of the disaster.

"I am not interested in scapegoats or witch-hunting. I am only interested in the truth and once it is unearthed, we will know how to deal with cases of this nature," the President said. President Mills expressed concern over the capacity of Ghana National Fire Service to carry out its mandate and described the organisation's lack of preparedness to disaster as "worrying".

"When I say preparedness, I am not putting blame on them. It is quite clear that we need to give them the right kind of equipment," President Mills said.