Deputy DG of GBC and Four others appointed envoys


The Deputy Director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Mrs. Francisca Ashitey-Odunton has been appointed Ghana's High Commissioner to Kenya. Madam Ashitey-Oduntun comes into her new role  with vast experience in broadcasting and legal practice. President Akufo-Addo swore her in together with four others at the Flagstaff House on Wednesday evening. THE others are Mrs. Dufie Agyarko Kusi, an experienced, international public servant, who is to represent Ghana in Republic of Korea, Madam Virginia Hesse, a respected, former, senior civil servant, who is going to Prague, in the Czech Republic, Mr. Alowe Leo Kabah, a seasoned lawyer and politician, who is heading to the Republic of Benin and  Prof. Abena Busia, an internationally acclaimed academic and poet, who will represent the country in Brazil. 


In a statement, President Akufo Addo charged the new envoys to guard jealously, the image of the country and woo investors to government's flagship programmes such as one district one factory, planting for food and jobs and one village one dam. He  asked them to develop a rapport with the Ghanaian community in their respective countries. He further  tasked the appointees to deepen the bilateral relations between Ghana and their respective countries and explore other areas for effective cooperation.


President Akufo Addo in addition asked the envoys to “… recall at all times our objective – to build a Ghana Beyond Aid, a Ghana which is self-reliant and exploiting its own resources, honestly, with hard work, enterprise and creativity, to build the free, prosperous Ghana of the dreams of the founding fathers of our nation.”


Background

Mrs. Francisca Ashitey-Odunton obtained a  Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Sciences from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She  is a  lawyer  with close to two decades experience, having been called to Ghana Bar after obtaining LLB from the Ghana School of Law in 1997. Francisca also holds a master's degree from the London School of Economics and is also a graduate of the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan. Mrs. Ashitey-Odunton has over 20 years’ experience as a broadcaster with the GBC.  She joined the Corporation in 1990 as a senior production assistant and worked on various programmes including (Kyekyekule), Children's Own, Adult Education and Country Music. She was also a TV presenter.  She was later transferred to the newsroom and served in various capacities  as news reader, editor and also a presidential correspondent for 8 years. She later became Chief Editor and was moved to the legal division as Senior Legal Officer. She is currently the Deputy Director General of GBC. 


Brief
This is the third batch of Ambassadors and High Commissioners  to be dispatched  by the President bringing the total number to 35. They took the oaths of office, allegiance and secrecy and were later presented with the  instrument of appointment also known as the letters of credence.

On behalf of the other  appointees, the Ambassador to Brazil, Professor Abena Busia thanked the President for reposing the confidence in them. They assured the President that they will work diligently to justify their appointment.

Story: Bright Ntramah
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