The out-going United States of America Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Robert Jackson, has said the United States supports the presidents vision of Ghana Beyond Aid.
The US Ambassador said, the US would take concrete steps to help achieve the vision of Ghana Beyond Aid specifically in the four areas of mutual concern; economic growth, health and education; peace and security; and good governance.
It is for this reason that we want to create an economy that will thrive so that we can create jobs.
Mr. Jackson said economic research has shown that Ghana’s economy lost millions of dollars due to ‘Dumsor’. He indicated that, inadequate and unreliable power stifles growth and for that matter the US government through the Compact agreement was contributing substantially to the power sector to ensure that the country had reliable power and also turn the Electricity Company of Ghana into a reliable and affordable power company.
He said with proper management, ECG could become a profitable company saying “The compact is a good deal for Ghana”.
Mr. Jackson said what the US was proposing in the Defense Cooperation Agreement was meant to be beneficial to both countries explaining that, this partnership has existed for over 20 years covering the periods of the two big parties NDC and NPP.
The Ambassador added that: “The Ghanaian forces will be training with the US forces, the US forces come here temporary and will not establish a base”.
“The handful of soldiers already here have shown capability for stability in the sub-region. What we are asking for is to partner with the country to promote an orderly world”, he said.
Continuing, Mr. Jackson indicated that the president’s vision of Ghana Beyond Aid could not be realized without Good Governance. He said pervasive corruption steals from the people since according to him “It inhibits free enterprise, compromises the availability of good health care, eats away livelihood and opportunities to the citizenry”.
Mr. Jackson called for a relentless fight in the promotion of human rights adding “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere”. He said, the friendship between Ghana and the US was well established already, since American staff were posted here prior to independence and currently lots of Ghanaians and Americans work in that embassy. The US Ambassador noted that, the US was not just looking at building relationship but wanted to create an environment within which Ghanaian businesses will grow.
The Chairman of the University Governing Council, Mrs. Nancy O. C. Thompson, chaired the function. Present were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, the Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan! some Provosts, Deans, Directors and Heads of Department.