Yankey assumes responsibility as Foreign Ministry Chief Director

MR Albert Francis Yankey has assumed responsibility as the Chief Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Mr Yankey, who is a career diplomat with several decades of experience to his credit, was, until his new appointment, Ghana's Ambassador, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

MoFARI is the principal organ of state responsible administratively and executively for the initiation, formulation, co-ordination and management of Ghana’s Foreign Policy.

It comprises; the Headquarters, 50 Diplomatic and Five Consulate Generals/Consular Missions as well as three (3) Subvented Organisations, namely: the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC) and the All African Students Union (AASU).

The unveiling of Mr Yankey as MoFARI's Chief Director, was done by Mr Mohammed Habibu Tijani, Deputy Minister, MoFARI, in Accra at the press launch of the 54th AU Day celebration.

Mr Tijani congratulated Mr Yankey on his new appointment as Chief Director of the Ministry.

"He began his stewardship only this week. As you may be aware, before this appointment, Ambassador Yankey was Ghana's Envoy to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union," the Deputy Minister stated.

"I request you to kindly join me in wishing the Chief Director every success in his current endeavours," he added.

The 54th AU Day, which falls on Thursday, May 25, is on the theme: ‘Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in the Youth’.

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the AU, was founded on May 25, 1960, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was a pillar as one of the Founding Fathers of the OAU, which was formed in the week of the collective quest by African leaders, at the time, to work together in seeking the political emancipation of the African continent from the shackles of colonialism and the ills of imperialism.

Mr Yankey said over the past 54 years, the AU, despite its shortcomings, had chalked some successes such as the promotion of continental integration, peace and security.

He described the theme of the 54th AU Day celebration as very timely and appropriate.

He bemoaned the rate at which many young African youth were drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, with some dying in the Sahara Desert all in an effort to reach out for greener pastures.

He said it was high time African governments invested more in job creation in order to attract and maintain the youth for the Continent's socio-economic development.