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General News of Thursday, 27 February 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Akufo-Addo's 'RoboCop' video breaks internet

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a 'RoboCop' style play videoPresident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a 'RoboCop' style

Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is currently on a 12-day working visit to Scotland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium.

But the expected traditional economic diplomacy, the purpose of the trip is not being debated.

Rather, the president's dressing is trending.

At Norway, the President was invited by the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, to visit Svalbard, the Norwegian Archipelago which is situated between continental Norway and the North Pole, to witness the deposit of some 60,000 new seed samples into the Svalbard seed vault.

Dressed like a 'RoboCop', that is, with a red overall coat to cover his body and whole face with gloves and heavy safety boots, President Akufo-Addo was seen in a video with the company of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Emir of Kano.

By the way, it is winter in the northern hemisphere and the cold weather in full effect but fashion has rules, hence the public commentary.

The Svalbard seed vault is an attempt to ensure against the loss of seeds in other gene-banks during large-scale regional or global crises and the Tuesday deposit of some 60,000 new seed samples into the Svalbard seed vault is the first big deposit to the Arctic facility since its upgrade.

This is to future-proof it against climate change, taking the total number of seeds in the vault to more than a million.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is described by Ghanaians as the most travelled President of the fourth republic.

He left the country immediately after delivering the "message on the State of the Nation", and filing his nomination to contest again as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

His first destination upon leaving Ghana was at the St. Andrews Africa Summit, “a student-led initiative that promotes a versatile discussion about Africa, African and African Affairs”, which was held last Saturday, February 22. There, he delivered the keynote address on the theme “Leadership, Development and Entrepreneurship.”

From Norway, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was expected in London, on February 27, to speak to Chatham House, on the theme “Financing for Sustainable Development in Africa”.

At the invitation of Her Excellency Simonetta Sommaruga, President Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will then pay a state visit to Switzerland from February 28 to 29.

President Akufo-Addo will travel to Brussels, Belgium, on March 3, to address the 2nd ECR-Africa Summit on March 4, on “Ghana’s economy and thriving democracy”, and also meet with the leadership of the European Union to discuss issues pertaining to Ghana-EU relations at the invitation of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group.

The President was accompanied by Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for Education, and officials of the Presidency and foreign ministry.

The President will return to Ghana on March 4.

What are your views on the president's "RoboCop" dressing to Europe at a time when the Coronavirus is infecting more people on that continent, and when some Europeans are urging travel bans?

Do you think his particular dressing is appropriate?

Will it influence anything?

Does climate change, and destruction of our forests and rivers mean anything to those who invited our president?