Trinidad and Tobago has pledged to support Ghana’s candidacy for the General Secretaryship of the Commonwealth, according to stories in the Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that Trinidad and Tobago would be backing the candidacy of a Ghanaian for the role within the body of mainly but not entirely English-speaking member countries.
The decision to support Ghana was announced by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, when he paid a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra last Friday.
The call formed part of his visit to the country on the invitation of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as a special guest to the 25th anniversary celebration of his ascension to the Golden Stool.
Dr Rowley said the choice to support Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s representative for the position, formed part of a number of initiative put in place by Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen its relationship with Ghana.
He said, “I just want to give you the assurance that Trinidad and Tobago remains a leader in CARICOM and so we’ve given you the commitment that we will support fully the candidacy of your foreign minister.”
The Prime Minister explained that even though he did not attend the last CARICOM meeting and did not intend to attend this year’s one as well, he would be travelling to Samoa to campaign for Ghana’s candidacy.
“I did not intend to go to the ones coming up in Samoa but because of our commitment to Ghana, to get your candidate elected as Secretary General, I intended to go to campaign for CARICOM in support of Ghana’s candidacy,” he emphasised.
