AU Commission calls on Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister

A two-member delegation from the AU Commission who are organizing the this year’s General Conference on the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA) in Ghana, scheduled to take place between 18th and 20th December 2017, paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Honorable Dr. Ziblim Iddi at his Office, on last Tuesday.

The delegation was led by Ms. Angela Martins who is the personal Assistant to the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission and their Local Representative in Ghana, Mr. Anomnyam.

According to Ms. Angela Martins, the purpose of her visit was to prepare a fertile ground for the upcoming Pan African Writers Association event in Ghana, considering the fact that the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture, plays a pivotal role in the promotion of Ghanaian Culture and the creativity aspect of Ghanaians, which falls in tandem with the overall goals and aspirations of the Pan African Writers Associations’ sense of mission.

She intimated that given the significance of the forthcoming PAWA event in Ghana, the association as an umbrella body of the AU, is seeking for the support of the government of Ghana in order to host the conference successfully in the country.

Ms. Angela disclosed that during the PAWA colloquium awards Dinner which was hosted earlier on the 6th of November, His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, was honored with the Nobel Patron of the Arts Award for his interest and contribution to arts, which is the highest award to be given by the association to the distinguished African personalities. A feat she said is a significant milestone which Ghanaians must be proud of.

She further commended Deputy Minister for Tourism Dr. Ziblim Iddi, for the warm courtesies accorded her and her team during her brief encounter at his office.

In his response the Dr. Ziblim Iddi, said considering Ghana's role on the African continent particularly it's avowed commitment towards the pan Africanism movement, the government of Ghana and MOTAC will be very much in support of PAWA program in Ghana, adding that the spirit of pan Africanism was actually engineered in Ghana.

He further stressed that Ghana would want the current OAU leadership to further champion the African continental unity and its transformational agenda, in the improvement of the socio economic advancement of its people.

He said the continuous sustainability and the restoration of peace in Ghana amongst others are a few of the ample testimonies to make the program a successful one.

Dr. Ziblim Iddi, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Gushegu Constituency in the Northern Region, further assured the PAWA organizing team that the government of Ghana is ever ready to support the event.

Present at the brief ceremony were the Acting Chief Director to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Joel Sonne, The Director of Research Statistics and Information (RSI) Mrs. Olivia Opoku Adoma, as well as the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Mr. Alhassan Abubakar Sadik.