President Kufuor holds meeting with Council of State

Accra, Jan.26, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday held the first quarterly meeting with the Council of State for the year at the Castle, Osu.

President Kufuor in his opening remarks said Ghana's infant democracy required the advice, counselling and support of the elderly in society to grow.

He said governing any nation required people with the competence and experience people with public service spiritedness to form a group such as the Council to advice the President on its performance, problems besetting the nation and how they could be solved.

President Kufuor expressed appreciation to the Council for the mutual confidence that had existed between them and the Executive to find solutions to problems affecting the nation.

He said there was the need for such a two-way relationship between the President and the Council to interact with each other and that such relationship should be the legacy for all future Presidents and Councils in Ghana.

Professor Alex Kwapong, Chairman of the Council said members looked forward with much anticipation to the meeting to enable them to give well-motivated advice to the President on issues bothering on national and international developmen0t.

He said 2004 being an election year, the Council would offer the needed counselling to make the year a successful one. "Ghana needs the wisdom and counselling of the elderly for our democracy to grow" he said.

Present at the meeting was Vice President Aliu Mahama. Article 89 of the 1992 Constitution stipulates the establishment of a 25-member Council of State to counsel the President in the performance of his functions.

The Council, the constitution states, shall meet at least four times in a year and holds its meetings in camera but may admit the public to any meeting whenever it considers appropriate.