Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson is billed to be in Ghana today, Wednesday, 15th February, 2017. He will be entering Ghana from The Gambia where he paid a similar visit yesterday, Tuesday February 14. This is Johnson’s first time of visiting the two African countries.
The UK Secretary is expected to meet with Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to hold some bilateral talks with him. Their discussions, according to reports, will border mainly around key opportunities available in Ghana, and the challenges facing the country.
He is also scheduled to visit the Blue Skies company, meet business leaders and young entrepreneurs supported by the Department for International Development’s ENGINE project, and also meet with “Rising Black Stars”. All the meetings will be geared towards highlighting Ghana and the UK’s extensive cultural affiliations.
Boris Johnson earlier expressed happiness over his proposed visit to both Ghana and The Gambia, especially as he is the first UK Foreign Secretary to visit the latter. He noted that the two country’s elections and subsequent peaceful handover of powers portrays the “continuing strengthening of democracy in West Africa”.
At The Gambia, Boris Johnson met with the new President, Adama Barrow who came into power after much rigorous efforts made by both continental and international authorities to remove the country’s long time President, Yahyah Jammeh.
Former President Jahmeh refused to hand over powers to Barrow who won the presidential elections held in the country on 1st December, 2017. However, with [both diplomatic and forceful] intervention of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations (UN), he was removed from office.
See: What Made The Embattled Yahya Jammeh to Step Down
It was only then that Adama Barrow who took refuge in Senegal, where he was also sworn in as President, was able to come back and finally installed as The Gambia’s President.
Boris Johnson’s trip to The Gambia is the first made by any Foreign Secretary of the UK to the country. During the visit, Johnson visited the UK-funded Medical Research Council. He also addressed Chevening scholars, as well as employers and employees in the tourism industry.
It was also at Boris’ visit that Gambia’s request to return to the Commonwealth of Nations was officially announced. The UK Foreign Secretary had earlier expressed gladness over Gambia’s desire to return to the Commonwealth. He had also said that they will ensure that they are reunited with the organization. According to him, the strength of the UK’s partnership with other countries reflects Global Britain’s growth in influence and activity around the world.
Boris Johnson is a 52-year-old British politician, historian, author and journalist. His full name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson and is formally addressed as The Right Honorable Boris Johnson.
He has been UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs since July 2016 and a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency since May 2015.
Recently, Boris is popular for being a mastermind of Britain’s leave from the European Union (EU); a move popularly known as Brexit. Johnson, who is former London Mayor, is one of the best and most vibrant British politicians.
He was born in New York City of the United States to English parents thereby having dual citizenship – US and UK. However, he renounced his US citizenship in 2016 over issues of tax disputes and loyalty to the United Kingdom.
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