Ghana’s former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings received former President Nicephore Soglo of Benin and the Congolese Ambassador accredited to Ghana, Jean-Marie Mowelle at separate meetings over the past week.

President Soglo, a member of the Board of the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE) called on former President Rawlings on Friday.

The two discussed the Sasakawa project’s initiatives in Ghana, many of which were initiated during President Rawlings’ tenure as Head of State and President of the country.

The Sasakawa Fund celebrated its 20th anniversary in Accra and Cape Coast on Wednesday and Thursday.

SAFE is a product of two development imperatives to bring African agricultural universities and colleges more fully into the agricultural and rural development process through the creation of new innovative continuing education programmes and to expand and strengthen the knowledge and skills of frontline agricultural and rural development advisory service providers to improve their capacity to more effectively serve the needs of smallholder farm families.

On Wednesday the Republic of Congo’s Ambassador accredited to Ghana, Jean-Marie Mowelle called on President Rawlings moments after he had presented his letters of credence to President John Mahama.

Ambassador Mowelle who is resident in Abuja said his country’s relationship with Ghana and President Rawlings is a unique one that necessitated the need to call on the former President to express Congo’s solidarity.

President Rawlings said though the Ambassador was not based in Ghana it was necessary that he kept his eyes wide open on all countries he was accredited to so he could give a candid report on the socio-political situation prevalent in those areas.

The former President was particularly concerned about the re-emergence and perpetuation of corruption within the region as well as the abuse of our forest areas by illegal miners who have contributed to the deterioration of not only the forest areas but water bodies that used to be source of potable water and aquatic proteins for local communities.

Also present at the meeting was Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Mrs. Clementine Malanda Goma, First Secretary of the Republic of Congo Embassy, who accompanied Ambassador Mowelle.