His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah, High Commissioner of Ghana to the United Kingdom of  Great Britain and Northern Ireland with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Ireland has ended his tour of duty successfully and returns to Ghana with lots of experience and enthusiasm to contribute positively to the development and growth of Ghana in the realisation of the President’s agenda of ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.

It may be recalled that His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah was one of the first High Commissioners/Ambassadors that the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned to represent Ghana’s interests in the United Kingdom.

Having been mandated by the President to represent him in the United Kingdom with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Ireland, and promote the interest of Ghana, protect the interest of Ghanaians in his jurisdiction, His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah discharged his mandate with distinction and acquitted himself excellently.

His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah who arrives in Ghana on Saturday, 26^th September 2020, leaves the shores of the United Kingdom with a great vacuum, having projected the image of Ghana positively in UK and Ireland, culminating with several successful reciprocal VVIP visits between both countries. Notable amongst these VVIP visits was the most recent one by the President of the Republic of Ghana to the UK where he, together with about twenty-two (22) other African countries, participated in the first-ever UK-Africa Investment Summit.

On the side of the United Kingdom, his able leadership saw the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and his wife visit Ghana.

These are but a few of the VVIP visits that can be mentioned. The visits and other high-level meetings facilitated by His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah has witnessed the deepening of the bilateral relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Having notified the diplomatic community in the United Kingdom of his departure, a number of the diplomatic community leaders sought to eagerly meet with him to bid farewell. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, he granted audience to most of the diplomatic corps virtually. The Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Alistair Harrison CMG CVO, called on His Excellency Owusu-Ankomah to bid him farewell and used the opportunity to present to the High Commissioner a parting gift from the Queen, which was a picture of the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He had warm words of inspiration for the High Commissioner of deepened relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom and the excellent work undertaken by the High Commissioner. He also wished the High Commissioner well in his future endeavours.

His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah as per the usual practice called on the Minister for Africa of the United Kingdom, Mr James Dundridge, who represented the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab.

Minister James Duddridge recalled the excellent relations that exist between Ghana and the U.K.  which most recently, had enjoyed further boost due to the effective and prominent role that the High Commissioner played during his tenure.  Most importantly, the Minister recalled the participation of the President of Ghana at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and the UK-Africa Summit both held in London in April 2018 and January 2020, respectively and expressed profound gratitude to the High Commissioner for institutionalising his good works based on a rich experience which had led to uncountable highlights of his stay in the U.K.

The High Commissioner also called on the Secretary-General for the Commonwealth family, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr Kitack Lim, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Khaled Abdulaziz Al-Duwaisan GCVO, and the Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, Hie Excellency Estifanos Habtemariam Ghebreyesus.

The theme that runs through all the meetings was the excellent working relations, the bond of friendship that the leaders enjoyed with His Excellency Owusu-Ankomah. The leaders were all of the same opinions regarding how His Excellency Owusu-Ankomah projected Ghana into the limelight of the diplomatic community in London which is considered as one of the largest diplomatic community in the world.

His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah, on the other hand, was very much appreciative of the immense support he received from the leaders of the diplomatic community in the discharge of his functions and the bilateral and multilateral relations that had been deepened across the about one hundred and eighty-five (185) diplomatic Missions in the United Kingdom. He underscored that he was leaving with lots of experience and positive lessons and fond memories.

His Excellency Papa Owusu-Ankomah is proceeding on leave prior to the end of his duty tour on 30^th November 2020.