The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has hinted that Ghana and her fellow West African Nation, Nigeria, will soon embark on a major economic development agenda that will further deepen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Addressing a brief ceremony in his conference room at the Flagstaff House when the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye and a Nigerian Senate Delegation led by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to pay a courtesy call on him, the Vice President said Ghana and Nigeria are at the same cross roads when it comes to moving their economies beyond aid and dependence on the developed world.
He emphasized that the two countries have a unique opportunity now to cooperate with each other to ensure that both countries lift their raw material production economies to industrialized economies that would meet the expectations of its peoples, particularly the youth.
“Our path to economic development are relatively similar. We all have quite significant endowments of natural resources. We are all also of the view that we have to move our economies beyond dependency.
“When we look at Nigeria, you are trying to build an economy that is independent and so are we and that is what we refer to as Ghana beyond aid and Africa beyond aid, so the more we can trade among ourselves and invest in each other, the better it is for our people,” Dr. Bawumia said.
The President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, on his part welcomed the suggestion of the Vice President for much deeper cooperation between Ghana and Nigeria. He added that perhaps, it is no surprise that while Parliament is inviting him as their guest to celebrate 25 years of Parliamentary democracy in Ghana, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and his Administration have also invited the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mahamudu Buhari to be the special guest of honour at the 61st Independence Day ceremony Coming up tomorrow the 6th of March.
These invitations he observed are a confirmation that Nigeria, Ghana relations are strong and can be much strong. He added that is the responsibility of governments in Africa to solve the challenges their countries are facing and Ghana and Nigeria are no different.
The Senate President was accompanied by senior members of the Nigerian Senate such the deputy leader of the Senate, the Chief Whip, and the Minority leader.
The Senate President presented a gift to the Vice President which was very well received with Dr. Bawumia commenting that he will send it straight to his office.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Wilberforce Asare
